COVID cabinet approves reinstating Green Pass, exempts those under 12

Vaccine efficacy against Delta 91% in preventing serious symptoms

Starting July 29, gatherings with more than 100 participants will start functioning under the Green Pass outline, but children under 12 will be exempt, the coronavirus cabinet decided on Thursday.

In addition, the ministers said the UK, Turkey, Cyprus and Georgia will be added to the list of countries under the travel ban, subject to the approval of the full government.

The Health Ministry released new data showing that the vaccine remains 91% effective against severe cases of COVID-19, and only two mild heart inflammation cases occurred among children aged 12 to 15.

Regarding the Green Pass system for Israelis above the age of 12, and therefore eligible for a vaccine, access to cultural and sports venues, gyms, restaurants and dining halls, conferences, tourist attractions and houses of worship will be reserved only for people who are fully vaccinated, have recovered or have had a negative test performed in the previous 72 hours.

For the first few days, the unvaccinated will be able to undergo a test for free; after August 8, they will have to do it at their own expense.

“Those who refuse to get vaccinated endanger the health and freedom of all of us to work, to celebrate joys, and they harm us all,” Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in a televised address on Thursday night.

“There are many countries in which there are not enough vaccines for the population, and the public is begging for them,” he said. “Here, the Israeli government is investing billions to make the vaccines available to everyone, and yet a million of Israelis simply refuse to be vaccinated.”

“Even for young people over the age of 12, we have taken care to ensure the continuity of our vaccine stock,” he added. “But there are still more than 600,000 young people up to the age of 30 who have not been vaccinated.”

Minutes before Bennett’s speech, the Health Ministry released new data showing that the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine remains 91% effective against developing serious cases of the disease. However, its effectiveness at stopping infection declined from 90%