Some 100 Gymnasia Rehavia students held a graduation event Sunday evening in the school, and many of them reportedly did not wear protective masks.
A neighborhood resident was upset by the social event, he told The Jerusalem Post.
“It’s one thing to be naïve,” he said, referring to the May outbreak of COVID-19 in the school that placed all students gathered in the school under quarantine, “but it’s another to forget all about it [coronavirus].”
He said he would “like to think that the parents thought [the social event] would be done properly,” but “the teachers should be held accountable.”
The report about Gymnasia Rehavia students allegedly breaking health restrictions arrives on the heels of a New York Times report, citing a Korean study that says those younger than 19 can infect others with coronavirus just as much as older adults.
Israel is currently facing a second wave of COVID-19. It was reported on Sunday that a kindergarten teacher died after perhaps becoming infected by one of the children she was teaching. The kindergarten claimed she became infected during a family event.
Local health authorities denied being asked permission to hold the Rehavia event, KAN Radio reported. The Jerusalem Municipality denied being aware of the graduation, Ynet reported.
The school said the social event was not a regular party because it only included the students, not their families or wider circle of friends.
Students were divided into small groups and instructed to enter the event wearing masks after 40 minutes had passed since the entry of the previous group, the school said. Each small group was given graduation diplomas and then proceeded to the open space where they could say goodbye to one another before dispersing.
The farewell gathering was intended to offer some happiness to students, who were affected during the year by disruptions to their studies as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, Gymnasia Rehavia said.
Education Minister Yoav Gallant created a “September 1 task force” to ensure schools will open as usual for the upcoming school year. The role of digital education is expected to grow as one way to offer students continued education while keeping them safe.