Health Minister Yuli Edelstein announced Sunday evening that Israel will not extend most domestic COVID-19 restrictions past June 1 as coronavirus morbidity remains low throughout the country.
"Israel is returning to normalcy!" Edelstein said in a statement. "Less than six months ago, we have launched the vaccination campaign. With the help of the health system and the excellent mobilization on the part of the citizens of Israel, we have accomplished this."
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Women donning face masks walking through Tel Aviv's Carmel Market
(Photo: Moti Kimchi)
Edelstein said the decision, which will quash all indoor and outdoor caps on gatherings, came following rigorous consultations with Health Ministry officials.
In addition, all Israelis, regardless of their vaccination status, will be able to enter all public amenities. However, masks will remain mandatory indoors until further discussion on the matter. Limits on entry and exit from the country will also remain in place.
Edelstein urged Israelis to keep in line with the measures, for the time being, adding that if morbidity resurges, they will be reintroduced.
He also called on Israelis to avoid traveling abroad to destinations with high infection rates as to not import new coronavirus variants that could bypass vaccine protection.
Following this move, Israel will become the first nation in the world to allow its citizenry such freedoms amid the pandemic following a highly successful inoculation rollout.
As of Sunday evening, 5,439,855 Israelis have been fully vaccinated against the pathogen, accounting for more than half of the country's 9.3 million citizens.
There are currently 510 active COVID-19 patients in Israel, with 59 of them hospitalized in serious condition.
The country's daily infection rate has hovered at around 0.2% for the past several weeks.