Israel lifted its indoor mask requirement on Tuesday, taking another step towards returning to life pre-COVID-19.
According to the Israeli Health Ministry, masks will still be required for employees and guests at elder-care facilities who are unvaccinated or who have not recovered from the virus, individuals en route to quarantine as well as those traveling by plane.
According to ministry data, as of Tuesday morning, there were just 221 active COVID-19 cases in Israel with 25 new cases being identified in the past 24 hours. By comparison, daily cases rose over 10,000 in January.
“Israel’s victory was achieved thanks to two basic elements: The millions of vaccines that we brought to the country and their rapid distribution to the citizens of Israel,” he said.
Earlier the same day, Israel had expanded its vaccination campaign to include those aged 12-16.
“This is huge news; it promises us herd immunity,” Netanyahu said at the ceremony.
As of Tuesday, 5,145,764 Israelis, or nearly 61 percent of the population, had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with an additional 336,475 having been partially vaccinated.