After two weeks of stable morbidity rates across the country, including low morbidity among children, the government on Monday approved a Health Ministry proposal to fully reopen schools starting next Sunday, ending the requirement that some grades still learn in so-called "capsules."
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Until now, most schools had limited the number of days per week that children could physically be present at the school.
Children in grades 5-9 were the only remaining students required to study in socially distanced capsules, or pods.
Under the new plan, regular tests will be conducted to keep track of any COVID outbreaks among students or staff members. When a student or staff member is found to be infected, children and staff members who came in contact with the person in question will be required to get tested not only at the end of their isolation period, but also at the beginning of their isolation, to help health officials better track and contain outbreaks.
"We have agreed, as we demanded in Blue and White, on a full and responsible opening of the education system immediately after Independence Day," said Blue and White chairman and Defense Minister Benny Gantz. "The children of Israel have lost long and important school days and we will continue to work to ensure that they are made up."
Education Minister Yoav Gallant praised the development and said children's "natural place" was in the classroom.
"The health system finally came to its senses and understood the importance of learning in the class for students and their families," Gallant wrote on Twitter. "Better late than never."
Earlier Monday, the Education Ministry reported a 30% decline in first- to third-graders' language and reading skills over the past year and a 25% decline in math and language skills among students in grades 4-6.
The Health Ministry Israel on Monday diagnosed a total of 217 new coronavirus cases, representing 0.4% of the 60,766 test results received that day, data showed.
A total of five people have died since Monday – three on Monday and two thus far on Tuesday – bringing the number of coronavirus deaths in Israel to 6,304.
Of the 3,369 people who currently have a confirmed case of coronavirus, 240 are in serious condition and 149 are in critical condition, the ministry said. The number of people on ventilators dropped from 133 on Monday to 121 on Tuesday.
In addition to the 826,588 who have contracted the coronavirus and recovered from it, 4,950,267 Israelis have received both doses of the vaccine and are considered fully immune to the virus.
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