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Israel: Masks compulsory in outdoor public places amid surge in Covid cases

Israel: Masks compulsory in outdoor public places amid surge in Covid cases

Coronavirus in Israel

Once hailed for its quick and successful vaccine programme, Israel is now once again at its defensive front to contain a surge in coronavirus cases.

The Israeli health ministry has decided to reimpose the rule to wear a mask in enclosed public places as the cases have increased alarmingly in the past week.

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This decision was taken as Israel recorded more than 100 cases for the fourth consecutive day in the past week, which poses a risk of sending the country into another lockdown.

To avoid another lockdown and a drop in the economy, the head of Israel’s pandemic response task force, Nachman Ash, has urged people to mask up in public places and avoid stepping outdoors whenever possible.

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The medical authorities believe the sudden rise in cases might be due to the new Delta variant which was labelled as a "variant of concern" by the World Health Organization. The Delta variant is believed to be more transmissible and has resulted in surge of coronavirus cases in many countries such as India and the UK.