A government meeting to discuss the next steps in lifting the coronavirus restrictions broke up with no decision about reopening the commercial sector or implementing the green passport. The cabinet is expected to reconvene on Monday.
“We are seeing the beginning of a decline in morbidity data and this is a good sign,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the beginning of the meeting. “However, we must proceed carefully and open up the economy gradually. We must not be pushed to open the economy irresponsibly for political reasons, for this would endanger the lives of many Israelis.”
Netanyahu explained that the exit strategy that he and the Health Ministry brought to the cabinet consisted of three parts, maintaining a strict sealing of Israel’s borders, reopening the economy for those who are vaccinated and a campaign to inoculate everyone who is older than 50.
“We will open the economy in two stages, the first one starting next week and the second one about two weeks later,” the prime minister said, adding that the plan envisions benefits that will allow those who are fully vaccinated to return to a normal life, including access to hotels, museums, cultural events, restaurants, pools, malls, football and basketball games, and flights.”
For days, Blue and White ministers, including Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz, have been insisting that some further restrictions on commercial activities can be lifted before February 23, the date set by the Health Ministry for the next phase of the exit strategy to begin.
However, Coronavirus Commissioner Prof. Nachman Ash told the cabinet that it was important to wait another nine days. He also recommended the authorities to pass legislation requiring medical professionals, teachers and public drivers to be vaccinated, channel 12 reported.
Starting from February 23, the Health Ministry envisions allowing access to some venues only to people who have been vaccinated or recovered from coronavirus, while street stores and essential stores would be available for everyone, the report added. According to channel 13, also synagogues could open under the “purple ribbon” outline, which provides specific operational guidelines regardless of people’s vaccination status.
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Among the issues discussed, Netanyahu proposed to make refusing to quarantine in a coronavirus hotel a criminal offence.
Earlier in the day, Ash told the Hebrew website Ynet that the authorities were considering imposing a lockdown for the upcoming festival of Purim.
Purim falls on Friday, February 26 – except in Jerusalem, where it falls on the following Sunday. Last year, Purim celebrations were considered responsible for a peak in coronavirus infections both in Israel and in Diaspora Jewish communities. Gantz told his ministers that he would support the lockdown for the holiday.
Speaking to Ynet, the coronavirus commissioner also said that the ministers were expected to approve a biweekly update of the traffic light program, under which cities and towns all over the country are allowed to open schools. Currently, the status of each locality is updated only once a week. The hope is to return more children to the classrooms faster.
At the moment, only daycares and grades 1-4 in green, yellow and light orange areas are back to learning in person, leaving some…
Read More: Coronavirus: No decision on exit strategy as cabinet breaks up