The Health Ministry Green Pass outline, which was approved last week, comes into effect Thursday morning.The plan states that any citizen above the age of 12 — and eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine under Israeli guidelines — requires a vaccination certificate in order to enter events hosting 100 people or more in an indoor space.
These include sporting events, hotels and tourist attractions, conference and prayer halls, gyms and studios, concerts, plays, restaurants and bars containing over 100 people.
Unvaccinated adults who did not recover from COVID must present with a negative COVID test to enter these gatherings.
In weddings and other celebrations subject to the Happy Badge, which intends to minimize infection at events where participants are expected to dance, eat and mingle together, children under 12 must also present a negative COVID test.
According to the outline, starting August 8th, the negative virus test must be a 24-hour fast test in order to enter, as opposed to the current 72-hour PCR test available to Israelis for free through their health care provider. According to the outline, children and those who cannot vaccinate for underlying health reasons will still be able to get the new fast test for free, but other adults will need to pay to use the service.Infringement of the Green Pass guidelines may result in a NIS 1,000 fine. Event halls that allow weddings or ceremonies to be held on their premises in violation of the Happy Badge regulations can be fined up to NIS 10,000.Over 5.3 million Israelis are vaccinated for the virus, according to the Health Ministry COVID dashboard. Some 10,000 received their second shot in the past 24 hours.Israel is currently experiencing a rise in numbers, with over 2,000 new cases identified for two consecutive days, in the highest incline since March. Some of the positive cases are people who received the double dose of the Pfizer vaccine since its installment in December 2020, raising questions as to the vaccine's effectiveness over time, as well as its proficiency against the Delta variant.