Health Official: Rapid COVID Tests at Events to Be Ready in Two Weeks

​Speaking at Tuesday’s meeting of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee on the third stage of reopening Israel’s economy, the head of Public Health Services in the Health Ministry, Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, said that rapid coronavirus tests for use at the entrance to public events as part of the “Green Pass” system should be ready for use within two weeks.

Most businesses and activities are now being made available to holders of the Green Pass indicating they are vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19. In response to a question from Committee Chairman MK Rabbi Yaakov Asher on the use of rapid tests, Dr. Alroy-Preis said, “There could be use of rapid tests at the entrances to events, but with the current rate of 3,000-4,000 confirmed cases per day, using rapid tests for the Green Pass would flood the test system, and it would take more than 48 hours to get a result. The testing system would get stuck and we will not be able to break the chain of infection.”

She added these rapid tests are only meant for people who cannot get vaccinated due to extenuating circumstances, such as an allergy to one of the ingredients in the vaccine.

“The purpose of the Green Pass is to create places where the risk of morbidity is lower, and thus allow entry to more people and allow the economy to function properly,” Dr. Alroy-Preis said.

“We are advancing the use of expedited tests, and we need to see how the various sources testing it report to us regarding the positive tests, which are highly likely to cause infection. Yesterday, we held a professional discussion regarding how to handle positive cases, and I hope that within two weeks, we will be able to use these as part of the Green Pass plan.”