Starting Sunday, Israelis will no longer be required to wear masks outdoors. Health Minister Yuli Edelstein instructed Health Ministry Director-General Professor Hezi Levy Thursday to sign an order cancelling the mandate.
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Edelstein made the decision after consulting with the ministry's health experts, who said that due to the current low morbidity rate, Israelis were no longer required to wear masks while outdoors.
"The purpose of the masks is to protect us from the coronavirus," Edelstein said. "After professionals have come to the conclusion that they are no longer needed in open spaces, I decided to remove the mandate based on their recommendations.
"The morbidity rate is low thanks to Israel's successful vaccination campaign, and so we can ease more restrictions for you, Israelis. I ask you to always have a mask with you when entering closed spaces. Together we will maintain the morbidity rate low," the health minister said.
At the same time, the school system is preparing to return to its regular activity. Assuming no changes occur, such as a lockdown, students will return to their classrooms on Sunday.
Pupils in the 1st to 4th grades, whose in-person school days were reduced to four times per week, will return to the classroom five days a week. The rest of the students, who studied on alternate days and had to sit in booths, will no longer be required to do so.
Additionally, parents will no longer need to fill out health forms for their children and schools, for any age group.
The return to normal poses a challenge for the country's system. According to Health Ministry data, as of last week, 872 students and 72 teachers were active coronavirus patients. Some 5,000 students and 500 teachers were in self-isolation.
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