Anti-Vaxxer Who Claimed Police 'Poisoned' Him Dies Of COVID-19

A well-known anti-vaccine advocate in Israel died Monday at a hospital after testing positive for coronavirus. Hai Shaulian had earlier told his followers on social media that there is "no epidemic" and that the "vaccine is unnecessary and dangerous."

In a video shared on his social media accounts after his hospitalization, Shaulian claimed he was "poisoned" by police. He was admitted to the Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, a city south of Tel Aviv.

"I am connected to an oxygen machine without which I suffocate. If I remove it and walk three meters – I faint. I cough hard and feel a lot of suffocation," Shaulian said at the time, according to the Jerusalem Post.

In another video, Shaulian complained about the treatment he received at a police station after he was arrested last week for protesting against the COVID-19 vaccines.

"The Creator of the world is with me I am not afraid. I believe that I will get out of this with the help of God, in my estimate, it will take," Shaulian said, Republic World reported.

He said the policemen assaulted him and put their legs on his neck.

"I have never felt this way in my life. All week I struggled as if nothing had happened, but today I could no longer breathe and went to the HMO and from there I was evacuated to Wolfson Medical Center. If something happens to me - know that it's an assassination attempt," he said.

Before contracting the deadly virus, Shaulian had organised several protests against the coronavirus rules in the country. He had also opposed the government's mask mandate.

The daily COVID-19 cases in Israel increased from mid-June and peaked on Sept. 3 even though 60% of the population are fully vaccinated. In the first week of September, Israel recorded the highest number of cases per million in the world, with 9,340 new infections being reported on average each day.

Israel's Ministry of Health on Monday reported 7,686 new cases, bringing the total number of infections to 1,178,933.