Coronavirus: Israel will soon be able to drop the requirement for outdoor masks

Sharon Alroy-Preis, head of public health services, acknowledged that ministry officials had discussed the move.

“In terms of health interventions, a balance must always be found between efficiency and public safety,” said Dr. Eyal Leshem, director of the Center for Travel Medicine and Tropical Diseases at Sheba Medical Center, said. The Jerusalem Post. ‘We know that wearing masks outside is not as effective as doing it indoors. On top of that, we see that many people no longer wear masks anyway. Therefore, at this point, with a low number of cases and a majority of the population being vaccinated or recovering, it would make sense from an epidemiological and public health perspective to lift the requirement. ‘

About 303 cases were identified on Tuesday, according to the ministry’s report on Wednesday. Only 0.5% of approximately 60,000 tests administered yielded a positive result, a rate similar to previous days and as low as in May 2020. At no point in the past week has the number of new daily cases 420 does not exceed.

The number of patients in serious condition and on ventilators continued to decline, standing at 309 and 157 respectively on Wednesday. A week ago, it was 391 and 202, respectively.

The total death toll stood at 6,261, while five people died of the virus in the past 24 hours.

According to Leshem, health authorities should have a priority in issuing clear, simple and well-laid out guidelines to avoid confusion among the public.

Asked if he believes the mask requirement can also be canceled indoors, provided all people in the room are vaccinated or repaired, the expert replied that it is important to gradually ease restrictions.