Israel Eliminates Use of Outer Chinstrap and Will Reopen Schools | the Chronicle

Israel already has more than 60% of its population vaccinated against Covid-19 and has reduced the contagion curve by 97% since January. Therefore, modified some of the restrictive measures such as the use of chin straps, from this Sunday its outdoor use has been phased out. The country was confined to a full quarantine in December and has gradually lifted it since February.

Despite the elimination of the use of face masks in the open air, this will remain mandatory in closed spaces or areas with a high concentration of people.. Among other means, The opening of primary and secondary schools was also organized to start face-to-face lessons.

The head of the fight against the pandemic in the Middle East country, Nachman Ash, assured Israeli public radio that the new arrangements are “a calculated risk”.

Even if, entry of foreigners is still limited and returning residents will have to comply with isolation, due to concern over new strains of the virus. So far, seven cases of an Indian variant have been detected in Israel and is under evaluation.

The country has 9.3 million people of which more than 53 percent received the two doses of Pfizer and more than 60 percent were vaccinated with the first.

In the past 24 hours, they have confirmed 82 infections and in the past few days they have had a maximum of 200, according to the Jerusalem Post. Since the start of the pandemic, they have accumulated more than 836,000 cases and 6,331 deaths, according to data from the Ministry of Health.