Israel reimposed mandatory use of masks in closed spaces due to increased cases of the Delta variant

Israel reimposed the mandatory use of masks indoors on Friday, a measure it had withdrawn ten days ago, given the increase in COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant, reported the country’s health ministry.

The national pandemic coordinator, Nachman ash, I declare that does not believe the country is in a fourth wave of infections, but supported the measure by the increase in the positivity rate and the number of cases, which exceeded 200 on Friday, the highest since April.

Health recorded a total of 227 new infections in 24 hours, after a week marked by a significant increase over a hundred which raised the positivity ratio of the 0.1% to 0.6%.

Masks in “unopened” spaces will again be compulsory, and those under 7, the disabled, those who are alone in the closed place, employees who work in the same room and people who carry out an activity will be exempt. .athletic.

With the fastest vaccination campaign in the world, with more than 5.1 million vaccinated with both doses -of more than nine million inhabitants- and a majority of the population immunized by the sum of those recovered from COVID-19, the country had returned to a practical normality.

He was the first to withdraw the mandatory nature of outdoor masks in mid-April and since June 15th it was not necessary either inside, with a few exceptions such as retirement homes or airplanes.

However, the input delta variant, now predominant in the country, which manifested as epidemics in schools in two Israeli cities, has spread and, in a high percentage, among those vaccinated.

The new Israeli Prime Minister, Naftali Benet, this week postponed to August 1 the entry of tourists into the country, which was scheduled for July 1, and put forward the possibility of reimposing restrictions to contain contagions.

Also, Salud tries accelerate the vaccination of minors between 12 and 15 years old.

Even with a low figure, the rising morbidity rate worries Israeli authorities who have enhanced monitoring of the quarantine of those returning from abroad, as well as fines for those who do not comply.

The country has closed its external borders to tourists since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, which began to ease at the end of May for groups vaccinated with prior authorization., in order to avoid the changes that broke into the country’s epidemiological situation, which was under control until two weeks ago.

(With information from EFE)

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