Israel registered some 3,843 new coronavirus cases on Thursday with a positive rate at 3.79% according to a Friday update by the Health Ministry, as the country prepared for the new set of measures approved to contain the outbreak – including the return of the full green pass system – to come into effect on Sunday.
Israel had registered a similar number of new cases and a similar positivity rate on Monday, but on Tuesday and Wednesday, the figures decreased to 3,302 and 3,494 with a positivity rate of 3.35% and 3.31% respectively. However, on Thursday, the numbers went up again.
As of Friday morning there were 253 patients in serious condition, after the number had climbed up to 262 on Thursday night. A week earlier they were 178.
A significant number of patients in serious conditions are elderly who were fully immunized.
In order to re-enhance the protection offered by the vaccines, Israel is conducting a campaign to inoculate those who are over 60 and have received the second vaccine from at least five months with a third shot.
As of Friday morning, 349,707 Israelis had received it.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that the possibility to fully celebrate the Jewish holidays, as well as for the school year to be normal and in person, depend upon the vaccination rate.
“The future of the Jewish holidays depends on vaccination numbers,” Bennett stressed, addressing the Israeli public on his Facebook page in an interactive briefing and encouraging both elderly and the young who have not gotten jabbed yet to do so.
“Five days after the third shot, people over the age of 60 are six times less likely to get infected than people who were vaccinated twice,” Bennett noted.
While health officials and experts agree that the new regulations that will come into effect on Sunday will not enough to stop the wave, the hope is that they will slow down the morbidity to allow the time to feel the effect of the vaccination campaign.
Starting Sunday, the full green pass system will be in place again (from August 20 also for children under 12), masks will be mandatory in all outdoor gatherings over 100 people and a vaccinated/recovered parent caring for a child in quarantine under the age of 12 will be demanded to isolate as well.
Currently, the green pass outline, which grants access to venues and activities only to people who are fully vaccinated, recovered or who underwent a coronavirus test in the previous 72 hours, applies only to venues and gatherings with more than 100 people. From next week, all people entering indoors cultural and sporting events, gyms, restaurants, cafés and dining rooms, conferences, and places of worship will need to present a green pass – stores, museums, malls, libraries and national parks remain exempt.
In addition, government offices will work with only 50% of their workforce in person, and the private sector will be encouraged to do the same.
Moreover, more stringent criteria to place countries under travel ban or travel warning are expected to be published on Sunday leaving a very limited group of nations to be visited freely by Israelis without the need to quarantine upon their return regardless of their immunization status.
The new criteria will come into effect in the following days, possibly the following Sunday.