Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said Tuesday that proof of vaccination will be required to enter malls and other entertainment venues from Friday, after 22 new cases of omicron were identified in Israel on Tuesday.
At the sites, bracelets will be handed out to vaccinated people to move freely within the complex.
The new restrictions, which are pending government approval, will allow people to enter without Green Passes only if they are seeking essential services. The list of what constitutes an essential service is currently being formulated by health officials and the Attorney General.
The Health Ministry will also provide a temporary Green Pass to children and adults who have only received a single dose of the vaccine, lasting for 30 days from the first dose.
Bennett and other health officials are also set to reexamine the “red list” – countries with high rates of COVID infection to and from which travel is banned – later on Tuesday, in a bid to keep out omicron.
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As of Tuesday, there are 89 confirmed cases of the coronavirus variant in Israel. Out of those, 21 individuals were unvaccinated. Officials are also examining another 150 potential omicron cases.
On Sunday, it was decided to expand the list, which mainly composed of countries in Africa, to include the United Kingdom and Denmark.
The decisions are accompanied by new quarantine restrictions. From Friday, people who are vaccinated or have recovered from COVID entering Israel from red countries will enter a week of home quarantine, and will be released subject to a negative PCR test at the end of the week. Unvaccinated people will be required to stay in a quarantine hotel until an initial negative COVID test, and only then will they be able to quarantine from home.
