Parents Urged by Authorities to Get Children Aged 12 to 15 Vaccinated

Seeing the rise in the outbreaks in various schools in the State of Israel, relevant experts and officials sat down to talk about measures to be taken. They discussed quarantine enforcement, imposing the requirement to put on masks, as well as the introduction of a new method of testing at the country’s primary airport. 

Nitzan Horowitz, the health minister, and Naftali Bennet, the Prime Minister, had a meeting on Sunday to come up with new policies. This was to be done to ensure that the risk of increased morbidity was minimized as soon as possible after a number of cases were reported in various Israeli schools.  

Together, the two decided to task 250 additional police officers to help enforce the requirements for isolation, especially for those traveling to the country from abroad. Along with building a new center for testing at the Ben-Gurion International Airport, the number of testing stations will also be increased. Furthermore, a communication campaign will be designed and carried out to spread awareness regarding the importance of following the quarantine regulations. 

In addition, the relevant authorities have been assigned the added responsibility to investigate the difference that is occurring between the number of people violating the quarantine regulations, and the fines being given out to penalize them. The position of specific parents will also be analyzed, whose children do not follow quarantine procedures after traveling back to Israel from abroad. 

The two ministers together confirmed that the citizens of the State of Israel will not be allowed to board flights to India, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, South Africa, and Russia unless special permission has been granted by a dedicated committee of the government. 

Moreover, the government will soon be making a formal recommendation to parents to get their children vaccinated, if they are aged between 12 and 15. Previously, children in this age group were given permission to get the jab but, the authorities had not made a formal suggestion. 

Earlier in the day, sources also stated that Nachman Ash, the coronavirus commissioner, along with Horowitz, were working to speed up the implementation of a new plan. As per this new plan, travelers entering the country will be required to isolate as per the norm, and additionally put an electronic bracelet so that their compliance can be monitored. The program was first introduced in the month of March but, has yet to be implemented in the country. 

The outbreaks occurring in schools in the past couple of days, have prompted the government to make it necessary for the students, residing in three specific cities, to put on masks when going outside the house and to school. Nearly a dozen teachers at a school for special children, located in the Sharon region, showed a positive result when tested for the deadly disease. 10 of these teachers had been fully vaccinated before.  

Furthermore, a teacher at the school revealed that the outbreak started when one teacher started to show symptoms. Consequently, a handful more received the positive diagnosis on Thursday and then some more by the weekend ended.