New Green Pass Rules to Take Effect

New Green Pass rules were due to take effect on Sunday, with many Israelis set to lose their passes under the updated immunity guidelines, due to not being vaccinated with a COVID-19 booster shot.

At the same time, police will step up enforcement of the proof of vaccine document at gatherings and venues in cities with high rates of infection.

Israel — the first country to officially offer a third dose — began its COVID-19 booster campaign on Aug. 1, initially rolling it out to those over the age of 60. It then gradually dropped the eligibility age, eventually expanding it to everyone aged 12 and up who received the second shot at least five months ago.

Starting on Sunday, the Green Pass will be valid for six months since a person’s last shot. All existing Green Passes will be voided and all Israelis must receive new ones through the Health Ministry.

The pass is only valid from one week after receiving the last required dose. The document, held by those who are vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19, enables access to many public places and events, including restaurants and museums.

A temporary Green Pass can also be obtained through a negative virus test, which must be paid for unless the individual is not eligible for vaccination.

As the new, more restrictive regulations come into effect, Israel continues to show signs it is coming out of its fourth COVID-19 wave. On Friday, the number of Israelis hospitalized in serious condition due to COVID-19 dropped below 600 for the first time since Aug. 17, according to figures from the Health Ministry.

Health Ministry Director-General Nachman Ash said on Friday that Israel appeared to be nearing the end of the virus wave that began in late June.

“I believe we’re on the road to a real drop [in infection], but we’ll see it in the next few days,” Ash told Radio 103FM. “I believe the fourth wave is coming to an end.”

However, he noted that with the reopening of schools after a break for the Jewish holidays, infection rates could rise again. “It’s hard to predict, and it’s definitely one of our concerns for the coming weeks,” he said.

Also on Friday, government figures placed the basic reproduction rate of the virus, which measures transmission, at 0.72. The figure measures how many people, on average, every virus-positive person infects. Any number over 1 indicates infections are rising, while a figure below that level signals that an outbreak is abating.

Sunday will also see the high-level Coronavirus Cabinet convene for the first time in a month, after a public spat between Bennett and health officials.

In a briefing with Israeli journalists in New York, Bennett accused the medical experts advising the government of “not seeing the full picture” and stressed that they don’t make the final decisions — the government does.

Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz called the comments “unnecessary and unfortunate,” while Ash said that the words were unexpected and “unpleasant.”

Bennett met with the top health officials on Thursday, and they released a joint message which appeared to mark an end to the feud. Kan News reported on Friday that the sides also agreed to release future information regarding COVID policy through joint statements.