Israeli schools fully reopen without capsules

Israel’s entire education system returned to full operation on Sunday.

By World Israel News Staff

First through twelfth-grade students returned to school on Sunday, in full classes without
restrictions on movement between classrooms, the Ministry of Education announced on Sunday.

“All educational institutions in the State of Israel will return to full operation … without any division of students into capsules,” said a statement from the ministry.

The Ministry of Health emphasized that students would continue to be required to wear masks indoors, maintain hand-washing mandates, and “keep as much distance as possible during
breaks and lessons, in teachers’ rooms, and while gathering in common areas – both
inside and outside of the educational facilities.”

The new regulations still permit schools to use distance learning “at a rate of up to 20% of the weekly study hours, or up to a weekly learning day.”

Educational institutions that need more time to prepare for reopening were given until Sunday,
Apr. 25, 2021, to implement the changes to the regulations.

Israeli schools reopened as wider society entered a new phase in which masks are no longer required out of doors.

Health Minister Yuli Edelstein announced, “After the professionals came to the conclusion that [masks are] no longer needed in the open, I decided to allow the masks to be removed according to their recommendation. For you, the citizens of Israel, I still ask you to be equipped with a mask for the purpose of entering closed buildings. Together we will keep the morbidity low.”

Around 85% of all Israelis 16 years and older have either been vaccinated or were infected with the coronavirus.

“Life is close to pre-Covid. Remaining restrictions can probably be lifted,” commented Israeli coronavirus expert Professor Eran Segal of the the Weizmann Institute of Science.