JERUSALEM (AP) – Israel lifted many of its coronavirus restrictions and began reopening its economy on Sunday as the country’s vaccination and third national blockade have begun to reduce infections.
Most high school and baccalaureate classes have reopened after nearly two months of closure, along with museums, libraries, shopping malls and markets. Some restrictions remain on the number of people attending. The entire education system is expected to be operational again in early March.
Gyms, swimming pools, cinemas and restaurants are reopening for people who have received two doses of the coronavirus vaccine.
Israel unveiled its plan to allow vaccinated people to attend cultural events, fly abroad and sponsor restaurants and health clubs through the “green insignia” app on Saturday before the economy reopens. The launch of the application has been fraught with technical difficulties.
After signing an agreement with Pfizer to negotiate dose-by-dose data, Israel’s vaccine campaign became the fastest in the world in the past two months. Nearly half of its population, 9.3 million, has received the first dose of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine. Nearly 3 million have gotten the second shot.
Israel has faced international criticism for largely excluding Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip from its highly successful vaccination campaign. The dispute highlights Palestinian confidence in Israel, even as they fight to fight the pandemic on their own. Last week, Israel facilitated the transfer of the first 2,000 doses of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip.
The coronavirus is still spreading rapidly in Israel, however, and movement and meeting restrictions have remained in place since the government imposed a nationwide shutdown in late December.
Israel has reported at least 743,000 cases of COVID-19 and at least 5,521 deaths since the start of the pandemic last year. Its three closures have paralyzed the economy and brought unemployment to more than 20%