06 May 2024,   17:56
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Israel prepares to reinstate mask mandate as Delta Variant drives new COVID surge

Israel is set to reinstate an indoor mask mandate in a bid to contain outbreaks of COVID-19, the latest setback for one of the world’s most vaccinated countries as the infectious Delta variant drives a surge of cases in children and vaccinated people.

The mandate will be restored when the average number of daily coronavirus cases over the course of a week exceeds 100, Israel’s health ministry said Thursday, a threshold its public health director Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis believes will be met Sunday.

Israel’s Coronavirus Commissioner Professor Nachman Ash recommended people “to start wearing masks indoors already now”, the Jerusalem Post reported, adding that they will be “mandatory” as of next week.

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