Israel's health ministry recommends some wear mask indoors amid rise in Covid-19 cases
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The health ministry said there was a “moderate rise” in hospitalisations due to a number of Covid-19 variants found both in Israel and around the world.
PHOTO: AFP
JERUSALEM – Israel’s health ministry on Tuesday advised people with compromised immune systems to wear mask in crowded indoor spaces as it marks an increase in Covid-19 hospitalisations ahead of the Jewish holidays.
In a statement, the ministry said there was a “moderate rise” in hospitalisations due to a number of Covid-19 variants found both in Israel and around the world.
“Ahead of the holidays and as a result of increased morbidity, the health ministry recommends that people in at-risk groups or those who want to limit the risk of infection wear a mask in crowded indoor spaces.”
Large family gatherings are common during the Jewish holiday season, which begins on Sept 15 and extends over about a month.
The ministry said it was soon preparing to issue vaccines that target new subvariants.
Covid-19 infections and hospitalisations have been on the rise in the United States, Europe and Asia, but are well below previous peaks.
Israel is among six countries where a highly mutated Covid-19 variant called BA.2.86 has been detected, but which scientists have said is unlikely to lead to a devastating wave of severe disease and death. REUTERS
