The Green Passport, Israel's ticket to living hand in hand with the blows of the coronavirus, was implemented and tweaked to match infection and hospitalization rates as the pandemic carried on.
It was first rolled out on Sunday, February 28, 2021, via the Health Ministry under then-prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Several thousand Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines first arrived in Israel in late December. The rollout began soon after so that, by the end of February, enough Israelis had been vaccinated that the prospect of opening up communal spaces without mass breakouts was feasible.
The green passport is granted to individuals once they passed their one-week marker after receiving their second dose, meaning they are fully vaccinated. The pass is also given to those who have recovered from the virus.
These individuals could show their pass - in physical form or via the mobile app - at the entrance to registered gyms, theaters, hotels, concerts and synagogues and be allowed in.
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The conversation has turned to what will come next. Will the Green Pass be renewed, either fully or partially, or will it be cancelled in its entirety?
“Where there is no clear epidemiological justification, it is not possible to cancel the [green pass] restrictions,” said MK Gilad Kariv.
Omicron's less deadly implications, especially for the fully vaccinated, means that new ways must be found to create environments that are as safe as possible.
If Israel is to provide a model for dealing with the pandemic and live up to its worldwide reputation as the “vaccination nation,” it’s time for some clarity.
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Israel’s Prime Minister has issued dire warnings about the “fifth wave” of COVID-19 that he says has begun.
The outline for malls and other shopping complexes, devised by the National Security Council and the Health Ministry, was presented at the last cabinet meeting.
Israeli infected with Omicron dies in hospital.
Even though most experts now say that the Omicron variant may be highly contagious but it is also far less severe than originally feared, the government seems to be escalating its war.
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