Recently, it is not easy to read in the media about anything other than the new coronavirus. The pandemic has rapidly and significantly changed the way people live, and the global economy will take a long time to recover from the effects of the crisis. The disease has dramatically affected the reality of all countries, including Israel. New quarantine rules, vaccinations, and changes in the celebration of events have already become commonplace for all residents.
The coronavirus pandemic is still strong in Israel, and no one knows how long it will last. As of June 17, 2021, 838 thousand cases of COVID-19 were recorded in Israel (Israel, 2021). Since June, almost all restrictions have ceased to apply in the country due to the low level of morbidity. Only the mandatory wearing of masks and restrictions on entry and exit remain in force.
Israel has resumed bilateral flights with all countries since the middle of March. Entry to Israel will only be permitted for people who have a negative PCR test result from 72 hours before leaving the country (Policy of entry into Israel, 2021). However, the resumption of international flights is not yet relevant to tourists. According to the Ministry of Tourism of Israel representative, the full opening of the borders to foreign tourists is unlikely to occur before July.
Israel has become a world leader in coronavirus vaccination. In January 2021, the country’s authorities introduced a “green pass” for those vaccinated or who have already recovered (Wilf-Miron et al., 2017). These documents are a permit to visit public places that cannot be entered without a pass. These passes are called an additional incentive for vaccination so that the authorities’ efforts to organize the campaign will not be in vain.
In Israel, the celebration of one of the most important days of the year is approaching. June 18 is considered the day of mourning in Jewish history. On this day, the First and Second Temples of Jerusalem were destroyed. In memory of these events, it was decided to make it the day of fasting. On this day, people cannot eat, drink, or wear leather shoes.
The pandemic has hard hit Israel: authorities have imposed lockdowns three times to contain the virus. Various restrictions were introduced, the wearing of masks became a habit for people, public events were reduced to a minimum. However, these effective measures have helped Israel to overcome the most difficult periods of the pandemic. Now the country occupies one of the top places in the number of vaccinated citizens and has a massive chance of getting rid of the disease quickly.
References
Israel. (2021). Worldometer. Web.
Policy of entry into Israel during the coronavirus period. (2021). Gov.il. Web.
Wilf-Miron, R., Myers, V., & Saban, M. (2021). Incentivizing vaccination uptake: The “green pass” proposal in Israel. JAMA, 325(15), 1503-1504.