JERUSALEM, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Israel on Wednesday reported 11,978 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 1,423,289, the Israeli Ministry of Health said.

This is the highest daily number of new cases in Israel since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country in February 2020.

The previous record was 11,344 daily cases, reported on Sept. 2, 2021, according to the ministry's data.

The number of deaths from the virus remained unchanged at 8,247, while the number of patients in serious condition increased from 117 to 125.

The number of active cases increased to 57,858, the highest since Sept. 27, 2021.

Israel's COVID-19 reproduction number indicator, also known as the R number, has risen to 1.94, up from 0.73 in November 2021.