JERUSALEM 

Israel has entered a second wave of the coronavirus outbreak, according to an official report on Saturday.

The report by the National Center for Information and Knowledge in the Battle Against Coronavirus, said the average daily infections from the virus reached 200 a day, up from only 16 cases a day four weeks earlier.

The second wave of coronavirus "is different in its characteristics from the first wave but no less severe", said the report cited by Israeli newspaper Yedioth Aharonoth.

The report called for taking further preventive measures to prevent 1,000 infections a day and for the Israeli government to reconsider its decision last week to ease measures against the virus.

Israeli authorities have so far reported 20,243 infections, including 305 deaths, and 15,567 recoveries.

The Israeli government has relaxed a lockdown imposed to stem the spread of coronavirus, reopening schools, universities and restaurants.

*Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara