Israel may have achieved some kind of herd immunity and could safely ease further restrictions, a top expert said on Saturday.
With more than 4.9 million Israelis fully vaccinated, the number of coronavirus daily cases dropped by 97 percent, Eran Segal, a computational biologist at the Weizmann Institute of Science, told Channel 12.
“It is possible that Israel has achieved a kind of herd immunity, and we have a wide safety net,” Segal said. “I think it makes it possible to lift some of the restrictions immediately.”
Get The Times of Israel Daily Edition by Email and Never Miss Our Top Stories Free Sign Up
Segal stressed that the reopening of parts of the economy and gatherings during the Purim and Passover holidays did not contribute to the increase in cases, as most Israelites were vaccinated.
Eran Segal (thanks to Eran Segal)
If confirmed, Israel could be the first country in the world to reach the milestone of herd immunity.
Last week, researchers at University College London said the UK would achieve herd immunity by Friday, although the claim was immediately disputed.
Israel has significantly pushed back coronavirus restrictions over the past few months by opening businesses, meeting rooms and other activities, as disease rates have declined amid the country’s leading vaccination campaign.
The Ministry of Health is expected to lift the mandate for outdoor masks this month.
However, some caps at meetings and in schools remain in force.
Israel is also currently limiting the number of people who can enter and leave the country every day, for fear of spreading variants that could undermine the effective vaccination program.
Government ministers on Thursday voted to further ease coronavirus restrictions at schools, eliminating the requirement for fourth-graders to learn in smaller class sizes. Ministers also end the requirement for students to sign a health declaration signed by their parents to enter the classroom, while allowing universities and colleges to keep all tests personal.
People at the Mahane Yehuda Market on March 10, 2021 in Jerusalem. (Olivier Fitoussi / Flash90)
Under the existing health rules, 100 people can gather outdoors and 20 indoors. Under the Green Pass program, up to 750 people are allowed to serve in cultural venues, given to those who have been fully vaccinated or recovered from the coronavirus, providing access to public spaces that are not available to others.
As of Saturday, there were 4002 active cases of coronavirus in the country, of which 221 were diagnosed on Friday. The Ministry of Health said 268 people were in a serious condition. The death toll stood at 6,292. According to the ministry, more than 5.3 million Israelis received the first dose of the vaccine, and 4.9 million were administered in both doses.
