Health Ministry announces series of new caps on gatherings, mask mandate

The Health Ministry says that starting this coming Wednesday, Israel will reimpose caps on gatherings that will restrict private and public events, as well as rules requiring social distancing in businesses that serve customers in-person, including stores and shopping malls.

All these new instructions must still be approved by the government and the Knesset.

All the following events will start operating in accordance with Green Pass rules, meaning access will depend on a certificate showing one is vaccinated, recovered, or took a negative PCR test in the previous 72 hours: sports and culture events, conferences, exhibitions, hotels, gyms, pools, event halls and venues, festivals, restaurants, bars, cafes, dining rooms, museums, libraries, tourist attractions, and universities and higher education colleges.

Green Pass rules will be in effect for anyone aged 3 and up. The state will fund COVID tests for those aged 3-11, while the rest of the tests will be self-funded.

Private gatherings will be capped at 100 people outdoors and 50 people indoors, while in event venues, the cap will be 500 outdoors and 400 indoors. Additionally, no event can surpass 75 percent of the venue’s full capacity.

Mass events where there are no marked seating spots will be capped at 1,000 people indoors and 5,000 people outdoors.

Masks will be mandatory in all closed spaces, apart from one’s place of residence, as well as in outdoor gatherings of at least 100 people.