The Coronavirus Cabinet on Friday voted to abolish the “green pass” requirement in most places.
The “green pass” will continue to be required in order to enter banquet halls, outdoor reception areas, nightclubs, performances that take place in halls where seats are unmarked, and conferences where food and drink are served.
The ministers also approved the abolition of the permitted occupancy restrictions in a place that operates with a “green pass” and the abolition of the requirement to set a distance of 1.5 meters between tables in the seating area in an open area of a restaurant.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz opposed the proposal.
"I think the green pass should be extended and we should not be sending a message that the pandemic is over. If you cancel something, then cancel everything and don’t confuse the public. It is allowed to go to a restaurant, but it is forbidden to go to events. What happens at an event in a restaurant?" Gantz wondered.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry reported that a total of 46,347 new cases of COVID-19 were reported across Israel on Thursday.
The number of new daily infections is down by nearly half from its peak of 85,164 in late January, with the Omicron wave appearing to have passed its peak.
There were 26 COVID-related deaths reported Thursday, including 13 patients with at least one booster shot, 6 vaccinated without a booster, and 6 unvaccinated patients. There were 54 deaths reported Wednesday.
A total of 338 deaths were recorded in the last week, and 9,080 total deaths since the pandemic began in early 2020.
The infection coefficient continues to decline, falling from 0.91 to 0.90, signaling that the pandemic is in decline.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)