Israel to lift all Covid restrictions on gatherings from June 1

PanARMENIAN.Net - Israel on June 1 will lift the remaining coronavirus restrictions on gatherings, and will no longer limit entry to certain venues only to the vaccinated, following the near-decimation of Covid-19 in the country, as a result of its successful vaccine drive, The Times of Israel reports.

Health Minister Yuli Edelstein announced the move Sunday, May 23, adding that the requirement to wear masks indoors will remain in place for the next two weeks at least, as health experts evaluate whether to abolish that directive as well. The rules governing international travel also remain intact, and may potentially be made more stringent to prevent the potential entry of new Covid variants.

But as of June 1, the so-called Purple Badge and Green Pass systems will be scrapped, meaning that Israelis will no longer require proof of vaccination to enter various venues, and capacity limits at stores, restaurants and other sites will be lifted. There will be no further caps on gatherings, indoors or outdoors.

Israel has made dramatic gains in stamping out the virus through its vaccination campaign, driving down the number of daily cases (based on a weekly average), from 8,600 at the peak of the health crisis to just 27 this week. At the height of the pandemic, there were 88,000 active cases in the country and 1,228 serious cases; currently, there are 510 active infections and 59 people in serious condition.