Coronavirus: Serious patients drop as new Green Pass system kicks in

• Author: ROSSELLA TERCATIN
• Published date: 02 October 2021
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

As of Saturday night, there were 587 patients in serious condition, 100 less than a week earlier. The highest number recorded in the fourth wave was 738 on September 23.

The new Green Pass system is set to come into effect on Sunday as the coronavirus cabinet is scheduled to meet for the first time in a month. In light of the encouraging data, which also included a decline in the reproduction and positivity rates, the cabinet is not expected to introduce any new restrictions, including no cap on large gatherings which had been widely discussed.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett expressed satisfaction over the development but said it is too soon to celebrate, as the outbreak is not over.

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"We are at a critical stage, with the reopening of the education system and our intention to end mass isolation and move to a model of extensive testing and isolation required only for identified cases," he said on Saturday night. "Right now, we must strictly keep the Green Pass rules and not be complacent."

By mid-October, the pilot program to change the isolation and testing requirements in the education system will be completed, and starting from October 17, only those infected will need to quarantine, while their classmates will undergo coronavirus tests every day for a week. In addition, parents of children under 12 are set to receive at-home test kits to check them regularly – possibly once or twice a week.

According to the new definition of "fully vaccinated," only people who have been inoculated with a booster or who received their second shot less than six months earlier will be eligible for the Green Pass, in addition to those who have recovered less than six months earlier or have recovered and received one shot.

In the last few days following the end of the Sukkot holiday, many more Israelis have been flocking to vaccination complexes to get the booster, but they are only defined as fully vaccinated a week after getting the shot.

Under the new system, more than 1.5 million Israelis are set to lose their Green Passes on Sunday.

The Green Pass grants access to several venues and activities, as well as to some workplaces. A temporary one can be obtained by undergoing a test.

The "traffic light" application that provides citizens with their Green Passes will be refreshed on Sunday and all eligible individuals will be required to...