Israel cancels mandatory mask wearing

JERUSALEM: APRIL. 20 – Israel decided on Wednesday to cancel the requirement of wearing masks indoors amid a drop in the number of new coronavirus cases.

The decision will become effective on Saturday night, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said in a joint statement.

“In the wake of the decline in coronavirus morbidity, the obligation to wear masks in closed spaces will be lifted,” the statement read.

Masks will still be required in venues with “a high potential for infection,” such as hospitals, nursing homes and flights, and for infected persons, it noted.

Israel, with a population of 9.45 million, recorded on Wednesday 4,583 new coronavirus cases, according to figures issued by the Health Ministry.

-Xinhua