Israel Lifts Mask Mandate; No More Outdoor Masks

Israel, which conducted the world’s fastest per capita vaccination drive, has eliminated its mask mandate that required citizens to wear masks outdoors, implemented nearly one year ago. The mandate was lifted on Sunday.

Israel has vaccinated roughly 80% of its adult population and roughly five million people out of 9.3 million overall.

As The Jerusalem Post reported, Israeli Health Minister Yuli Edelstein stated, “The masks are intended to protect us from the coronavirus. After our health professionals came to the conclusion that they are no longer needed outdoors, I decided to allow it according to their recommendation. The level of morbidity in Israel is very low thanks to our successful vaccination campaign, and thus we can ease up further restrictions for you, citizens of Israel. I ask you to still carry a mask in order to enter closed buildings. Together we will keep the morbidity low.”

“The rate of infection in Israel is very low thanks to the successful vaccine campaign in Israel, and therefore it is possible to ease [restrictions],” Edelstein added. “The masks are intended to protect us from the coronavirus. After professionals decided this was no longer required in open spaces, I decided to enable taking them off.”

“We are leading the world right now when it comes to emerging from the coronavirus,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted. “(But) we have still not finished with the coronavirus. It can return.”

In January, Israel was seeing about 10,000 new infections per day, Fox News noted, but that rate has plummeted to about 200 cases per day.

“Israel and Pfizer signed an agreement Monday on the purchase of millions of new coronavirus vaccines for 2022,” Israel National News reported. “In addition, Israel and Pfizer agreed to establish an option to purchase millions of additional vaccine doses.”

Netanyahu noted of the deal with Pfizer, “In recent days, I have spoken again with my friends, the CEOs of Pfizer and Moderna. There were some obstacles in Israel that we had to overcome, and we found a way to overcome them. If there are no surprises in the form of a corona variant that the vaccines do not overcome, then we have signed up for the purchase of millions of additional vaccines with Pfizer, I hope very soon to do so with Moderna as well. This means that very soon we will have more than enough vaccines, both for adults and children. Israel will once again lead the world in the fight against the coronavirus. There will be no more lockdown — we got out of it.”

Edelstein echoed: “I am happy that despite the unnecessary political difficulties, we have reached an agreement with Pfizer. Israel is leaving the corona crisis thanks to the vaccines, Israel will continue to lead the fight against the coronavirus in the future. I thank the citizens of Israel for their impressive response to the vaccination campaign, and call on those who have not yet been vaccinated to do so soon.”

The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a member. 

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases