The coronavirus cabinet approved Wednesday night a set of restrictions on gatherings, hoping to curb an ever-growing surge of COVID-19 infections nationwide in what looked like a last-ditch effort to avoid going into a devastating lockdown.
The new measures include the expansion of the Green Pass mandate, which requires people to present proof of vaccination or recovery at the entrance to public facilities, to include all Israelis from the age of 3 starting next Wednesday, August 18.
Shopping malls and stores will be subjected to the Purple Pass, which sets a cap on the number of customers allowed in a business at any given time and strict hygiene protocols, starting next Monday, August 16.
Mass events will be limited to up to 1,000 participants indoors and up to 5,000 outdoors.
Gatherings in private residences will be limited to up to 50 people indoors and up to 100 people outdoors.