Israel declares complete victory over COVID – set to cancel most remaining restrictions
All green passport rules to be canceled on June 1; even mask might go after a few weeks
What happened?
The Knesset just recently voted to extend a state of emergency and is currently floating a bill to allow the government to impose restrictions as needed for anything COVID-related.
We just published a story on this a few hours ago.
But then, in a completely unexpected and dramatic announcement, the health minister declared this evening that all remaining restrictions on entry to venues and on gatherings will be lifted on June 1.
“Israel is returning to routine,” said Health Minister Yuli Edelstein. “Less than six months ago, we started the vaccination campaign. … we carried out the best vaccination drive in the world. We have long been reaping our reward with low morbidity.”
Israel managed to vaccinate the majority of more than 5 million people, 16 years old and up, in just three months and is now working to approve the Pfizer shot for children 12 to 15 years old. Since then, the level of active cases has dropped to around 500 and many hospitals do not even have a single COVID patient. At the peak of the coronavirus here, some 1,228 patients were in serious condition. Now there are only 59.
The numbers remained low despite the reopening of schools and vast segments of the economy.
Edelstein said even mask wearing indoors could be abolished after two weeks.
“The Health Ministry is working to continue the low morbidity and will continue to comprehensively observe the situation to prevent an outbreak. Of course, if there is an outbreak, we will have to go back.”
So far the rules for international travel are still in place and could become more stringent if more variants of the virus emerge.
But in Israel, the Purple Badge and Green Pass are getting dumped. This means that everyone can enter all venues without proof of vaccination or recovery from COVID.
“Now, to my delight, the situation allows us to cancel the use of the Green Pass and the restrictions of the Purple Badge,” Edelstein said.
“The economy and the citizens of Israel will receive extra air to breathe.”
Nicole Jansezian was the news editor and senior correspondent for ALL ISRAEL NEWS.
