Cabinet Scales Down Green Pass as Bennett Warns Tough Days Ahead

The Israeli Cabinet voted on Tuesday to limit the Green Pass to high-risk events such as weddings and parties, even as the prime minister warned of tough times ahead.

People who’ve received two vaccine shots will be eligible for the pass for four months. People who’ve received a third shot or more will have it indefinitely.

The ministers also decided that PCR tests to depart Israel will no longer be mandatory for unvaccinated people (though they may still be necessary in the destination country). Tests are already not required for travelers holding a Green Pass.

Entry into nursing homes and assisted-living facilities will require an antigen test.

The new regime will take effect with the expiration of the previous Green Pass system at midnight between Sunday and Monday,  =subject to the approval of the Knesset’s Constitution Committee.

Details of the revised regulations are to be published by the Coronavirus Information Headquarters in the coming days.

Despite the easement, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told ministers that the country is “at the height of the battle” against the Omicron variant.

“We still have a difficult 10-14 days ahead of us,” he warned.

“Our approach is a rational and balanced one, based on facts and figures,” Bennett said. “We are fighting constantly to keep the economy open and everything functioning.”

He added that the government “will help businesses that were hurt badly in this wave. The details are still being discussed and will be decided on. We will not leave anyone behind.”