JERUSALEM – Israel reopened parts of its economy, including shopping malls and leisure facilities, on Sunday, with the government saying that the beginning of a return to routine was made possible by the Covid-19 vaccines administered to almost half the population.
The stores were open to everyone, but access to gyms, hotels and cinemas was limited to people with a “Green Pass”: those who received two doses of the vaccine more than a week ago or recovered from the disease with presumed immunity.
Pass holders could prove their status by presenting a vaccination certificate or by downloading an application from the Ministry of Health linked to their medical files.
Exactly a year after Israel’s first documented coronavirus case, easing restrictions on Sunday was part of a government plan to open the economy more broadly next month, when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is running for re-election.
“We are the first country in the world that is recovering thanks to the millions of vaccines we brought,” he tweeted. “Vaccinated? Take the Green Pass and come back to life. “
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The use of masks and social distance were still in effect. Dancing was banned in the banquet halls. Synagogues, mosques or churches have been forced to halve the normal size of their congregations.
Elementary school students and the last two years of high school resumed classes in cities with controlled contagion rates. High school students were still learning at home, however, which led some to stage a protest while sitting in a mall.
“I haven’t been to school for a year,” said protester Rotem Bachar, 14. “How does it make sense to open shopping malls to the crowds, if we cannot attend classes even if they have a limit of 15 to 20 students and have other care?”
Israel administered at least one dose of the Pfizer Inc vaccine to more than 46 percent of its population of 9 million, the country’s health ministry said.
On Saturday, the ministry said Covid-19’s risk of illness fell 95.8% among people who received both vaccines.
Meanwhile, a new Israeli study of health workers vaccinated at the country’s largest hospital showed that the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer produces a robust immune response after just one dose.
Israel recorded more than 740,000 cases and 5,500 deaths from Covid-19, drawing criticism of Netanyahu’s sometimes irregular application of three national blockades. The government has promised that there will be no room.
Meanwhile, Israel faced international criticism for largely excluding Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip from its highly successful vaccination campaign, widening the persistent inequality with Israelis that began long before the pandemic.