Israel softens measures

This would be the first time Israel has not required confirmed virus carriers to enter isolation since the pandemic began two years ago.

Israel's COVID czar announced Tuesday that by the end of June, the country will no longer require persons afflicted with the coronavirus to be isolated.

Prof. Salman Zarka stated that the policy change will only take effect next month if infection levels stay low.

According to a Health Ministry official, there is presently no known variety that could lead to a fresh outbreak of illnesses, therefore isolation is unlikely to be reinstated.

This would be the first time Israel has not required confirmed virus carriers to enter a period of isolation since the pandemic began two years ago.

Millions of Israelis have been forced into quarantine or isolation during the last two years. In January, Israel abolished schoolchildren's quarantine rules and replaced them with a mandatory testing policy that required youngsters to take a home antigen twice a week. Israel reduced the quarantine period from seven to five days earlier this month, requiring two negative home antigen tests on the fourth and fifth days following diagnosis and no symptoms.

Starting next week, Israel will no longer require passengers to wear masks on flights.

COVID tests are no longer required for all passengers entering Israel as of Saturday.

COVID minutes are unlikely to be published, according to Israel's highest court president.

According to the latest numbers from the Health Ministry, Israel verified 2,295 new COVID cases on Monday. Since late April, this figure has been quite constant.

Over the last few weeks, the infection coefficient – or R number, which represents the average number of persons a carrier infects – has remained below 1, indicating that the epidemic in Israel is declining.

"It's apparent that if this trend continues, we'll be able to do away with isolation restrictions for confirmed carriers as well," the official from the Health Ministry stated.

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