Israel’s coronavirus cabinet approved a number of new restrictions on Tuesday night that will go into effect on Sunday, August 8.

Masks will be required outdoors for gatherings of 100 people or more, 50% of government employees will work at home and the private sector will be encouraged to do the same, and parents/caretakers of children who contract the coronavirus must quarantine even if they’re vaccinated.

From August 20, the Green Pass system will be expanded to all gatherings, even those less than 100 people, and unvaccinated children will be restricted from some public venues unless they can present a negative PCR test.

The Health Ministry also wants to advance a proposal to delay the start of the school year from September 1, especially since the number of school days is limited due to the Yamim Tovim.

Additionally, a senior Health Ministry official said on Wednesday that the government is also considering bringing back the “purple badge” system, limiting the number of customers in stores and shopping centers.

The Health Ministry on Tuesday morning confirmed 3,269 new coronavirus cases, the second day that over 3,000 patients have been diagnosed, a first since March. There are currently 449 hospitalized patients, of whom 237 are seriously ill and 48 are on ventilators.

Prof. Eran Segal of Weizmann Institute said in a Ynet interview that with a million eligible Israelis still unvaccinated, Israel is poised for either a lockdown or a mass infection.

Eighteen locales have been designated as “red” zones, including Or Akiva, Beit She’an, Kiryat Motzkin, Kiryat Malachi, Afula, Kiryat Gat, Dimona, Sakhnin, Kfar Yona, Hatzor HaGlilit, Netivot, Harish, Sderot, Kiryat Yam and Mazkeret Batya.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)