Israel will ease COVID-19 quarantine restrictions in schools in 'green' communities
Tel Aviv [Israel], October 8 (ANI/Sputnik): Israel will expand its COVID-19 quarantine strategy in schools and allow students to return to in-person classes after two PCR tests in so-called green communities with low incidence rates, the office of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Thursday.
"It was decided that as of Sunday, 10 October 2021, the pilot program will be expanded," the office said in a statement following a meeting on halting quarantines at schools in communities with low infection rates.
If a COVID-19 case is detected in a class, students will need to take a PCR test at Home Front Command testing sites and will be required to stay at home until they receive a negative result. After that, the students can resume attending offline classes, though they will still need to take rapid tests for seven days before taking a second PCR test. If the result is once again negative, the entire class will return to the normal learning mode.
"The plan, which was agreed to with the Finance Ministry, will be gradually applied in green communities," the statement said.
Israel has registered a drop in the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations and the number of confirmed daily cases, which fell to below 2,500 after topping 10,000 last month. (ANI/Sputnik)
