• Tue. Mar 19th, 2024

Israelis without Booster Shot will Lose Quarantine Exemption

Sep 30, 2021

Under the new rules for the coronavirus vaccine, Israelis who have not received the third booster shot will not only lose their Green Pass come Sunday but will also lose the exemption of quarantine in case they are exposed to a coronavirus carrier. The health authorities did not immediately confirm the reported change in the policy. From October 3rd, any Israeli who has not gotten a booster shot six months after receiving the second dose of the vaccine will see their Green Pass revoked. This is a document that’s required for entering some events and venues. Instead, these people would have to provide a negative test result.

Likewise, those who have recovered from COVID-19 will also be required to get a booster shot in order to be eligible for the Green Pass. According to the media, people who will lose their Green Pass next week will have to quarantine for a week at the minimum, if they come into contact with someone who is infected. The change in policy would have a significant impact on the economy because an increasing number of workers may be required to quarantine because of it. More than 1 million people in Israel will lose their Green Pass on Sunday when the new rules take effect. 

But, health maintenance organizations disclosed that there was an increase in the number of people taking appointments for booster shots. Along with these revised guidelines, schools will also require students to provide a negative coronavirus test on Thursday, when they return to the classroom after the Sukkot holiday. The Israel Teachers Union’s head said that she had informed principals to permit students to enter, even if they don’t present a negative test. Yaffa Ben David said that the Education Ministry did not have any legal authority to ask principals to do something that’s not part of their responsibility.

It was also reported that nearly 33 patients of COVID-19 are currently being treated with ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machines. This is a record number since the coronavirus pandemic began. These machines are different from ventilators, as the latter only supports breathing, while they provide respiratory and cardiac assistance and are only used for those who are critically ill. Earlier this week, hospital chiefs had warned that ECMO machines were running short. Meanwhile, Naftali Bennett, the Prime Minister is trying to enlist other ministers for criticizing Health Ministry officials publicly. 

The report said that Bennett believed the health officials were just trying to gain attention. The premier’s office denied the report. Bennett had said earlier on Wednesday that he respected the efforts of the medical professionals, even if he was against some of their policies. Health officials had criticized him for rebuking them publicly in front of the UN. There has been a feud between the health officials and the Prime Minister about imposing additional coronavirus restrictions with the latter not in favor because he believes it will have a negative impact on the economy. The coronavirus cabinet will also be meeting for the first time in over a month on Sunday. 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *