Israeli ministers voted Sunday night to ease some restrictions on mall-goers, cutting back on the use of the ‘Green Pass’ system at shopping centers and permitting indoor dining at food courts.
Under pressure from businesses and facing high disapproval ratings for the government’s handling of the COVID pandemic, ministers walked back a number of limits imposed two weeks ago on shopping centers, including a ban on indoor dining at mall food courts.
The new decision ends the use of the ‘Green Pass’ system for large stores – defined as non-essential businesses with interior spaces of over 100 square meters – and will allow unvaccinated shoppers to enter.
Ministers also voted to expand the number of shoppers allowed into smaller stores, requiring only seven square meters of space per shopper, compared to the previous requirement of 15 square meters per shopper.
But, the new decision also requires that mall operators ensure that staff members remind shoppers of the COVID regulations, including not only capacity limits in stores, but the indoor mask mandate.
The move comes after a new poll found that nearly two-thirds of Israelis are dissatisfied with the government’s handling of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, compared to just 34% who gave the government positive marks.