Israel eases Covid restrictions after mass vaccination

AFP | Jerusalem

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Israel inched closer to lifting Covid restrictions Tuesday as its caseload remains tiny following a sweeping nationwide vaccination campaign.

People are no longer required to show vaccination certificates to enter restaurants and entertainment venues, and capacity limits on businesses have been lifted. Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said his office would discuss ending an indoor mask requirement over the coming two weeks.

“The Israeli economy and public may have some more breathing” space, he said in a statement announcing the changes.

The country remains largely closed to travellers from abroad, however, the tourism ministry said, except for first-degree relatives, some experts, and vaccinated tourists participating in a pilot programme. On Tuesday, there were just four new positive cases of the virus, and 350 actively sick people in Israel. At the peak of the epidemic in early 2021, Israel saw 10,000 new cases a day and 88,000 active cases.

The changes became possible after Israel obtained millions of doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. More than 90 per cent of people in Israel aged 50 and over have been vaccinated or recovered from the virus.

Children continue to be required to wear masks in school, as under-18s have yet to be vaccinated in large numbers.