Because of Omicron concerns, Israel's coronavirus cabinet has decided to tighten coronavirus-related restrictions.
Shopping malls will be subjected to the "Purple Ribbon" restrictions, which will limit capacity to one person every 15 square metres, according to Xinhua news agency, citing a statement made by the Prime Minister's office following the meeting. The "Green Pass" scheme, which permits only fully vaccinated persons to enter public venues, will be imposed on stores larger than 100 square metres, according to the office.
Only "necessary services" at malls and retail centres would be exempt from the Green Pass requirement, according to the statement. Classrooms with fewer than 70% of students who have been vaccinated will be compelled to learn from home via video connection at schools located in "red" and "orange" neighbourhoods where infection rates are high.
After the parliament's approval, the new restrictions are scheduled to take effect in the coming days. Earlier this week, the government announced a plan to cut employee physical presence in government and public sector companies to 50%. To the coronavirus cabinet, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett remarked, "We are witnessing the doubling of the number of verified cases and we are entering an exponential tempo." Israel has already restricted travel to the United States, Canada, and eight other nations, putting them to a list of "red countries."
Over the last several weeks, Israel has seen an increase in new cases of the Omicron variant. According to the health ministry, 1,323 new Covid-19 cases were registered in the country on Tuesday.
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