Israel has reportedly asked the United States and European Union to adopt its soon-to-be-updated rules for Israeli travelers, under which eligible people who have not received coronavirus booster shots will no longer be recognized as vaccinated.
Starting October 1, anyone who has not received a booster shot six months after getting a second vaccine dose will have their Green Pass revoked, denying them entry to certain venues and events that require proof of vaccination, recovery from COVID-19 or a negative test result.
According to a Channel 12 news report Tuesday, Israel wants the US and EU member states to use the Health Ministry’s criteria concerning the vaccination status of arriving Israeli travelers, which could cause those who were inoculated but have not received a third vaccine dose in the six months since to be denied entry to these countries.
The network said the matter was raised last week in meetings attended by Health Ministry officials and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
Last week, Israel reached an agreement with the EU to mutually recognize vaccine certificates – though it does not supersede entry requirements of each member state – and is in talks with the US on a similar agreement.
The TV report did not specify if Israel was also considering applying its new Green Pass criteria to vaccinated travelers from other countries – requiring them to have received a booster to enter if six months have passed since they were first considered fully vaccinated – or only wants other countries to enforce this standard for Israelis overseas.
Israel has been a pioneer in offering booster shots, with all those over 12 eligible to get them five months after vaccination.
Other countries that have approved administering extra doses have largely limited them to older people and others considered high-risk.
Channel 12 also reported the Health Ministry has shelved some proposed sanctions on vaccine holdouts following criticism.
“Vaccine refusers are what separates between us and the defeat of the [Delta] variant, but there won’t be restrictions on health insurance or medical treatment for the unvaccinated,” an unnamed senior ministry official was quoted saying.
The report came after the Finance Ministry began circulating a bill Monday that would strip unemployment benefits for those refusing to be vaccinated.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry said 8,691 new coronavirus were recorded Monday, accounting for 5.12 percent of all tests performed that day. Another 3,801 infections were confirmed since midnight. According to ministry figures, there were 710 COVID patients in serious condition, including 187 on ventilators.
The death toll stood at 7,567, 11 fatalities from COVID complications on Monday and another since midnight.
Among the new deaths was an unvaccinated 31-year-old woman from the Haredi settlement of Modiin Illit, who was pronounced dead shortly after being brought in serious condition to Shamir Medical Center outside Tel Aviv.
The ministry also said that as of Tuesday evening, 6,072,254 Israelis have received at least one vaccine dose, 5,591,789 have gotten both shots and 3,101,551 have been administered a booster.
Source: TOI