Israel’s coronavirus czar Prof. Nachman Ash said earlier this week that he’s not expecting a fourth wave of the coronavirus but mask-wearing will continue to be mandatory for the time being.

However, Ash added that health officials will be on the alert over the next few weeks due to fears that Pesach and then Ramadan will lead to an increase in the infection rate. He warned that everyone needs to be responsible and continue adhering to guidelines during these times.

“Unfortunately, from what I have seen, people often fail to follow the regulations… and it’s a shame,” Ash said. “If we see an increase in infections, we will just have to go backward.”

Despite the continuously decreasing infection rate, with only 470 new virus cases confirmed on Thursday, and tests showing a 1.1% positivity rate, a record-low not seen since last April, Ash said that it’s still too early to drop the requirement to wear masks outdoors.

“We’ll consider the issue as the infection rate continues to decrease over time, probably toward the summer, when it’s hot, and when we know more about the infection rate among those vaccinated,” he said.

Ash added that there are two possible scenarios that could lead to a new wave in Israel: an outbreak among unvaccinated children and adults due to a lack of adherence to regulations or the development of a vaccine-resistant variant. However, Ash said at this time such a mutation has not been identified and all possible measures are being taken to decrease the likelihood of the entry of mutations into Israel.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)