Israel Reinstates Masks... Hungary Approaching 'No Mask' Policy

Israel Restores "Indoor Mask Mandate" After 9 Days
Hungary to Lift Most COVID-19 Restrictions Within 1-2 Days

Amid the emergency caused by the spread of the Delta variant in Israel, a teenage girl is receiving a COVID-19 vaccine in Tel Aviv on the 21st (local time).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Israel, which was the first country in the world to remove mask mandates, has decided to reimpose indoor mask-wearing requirements due to the spread of the Delta variant. This comes just nine days after lifting the mask mandate on the 15th.

According to the Jerusalem Post and others on the 24th (local time), Israel's COVID-19 response chief Dr. Nahman Ash announced, "From the 27th, masks must be worn indoors nationwide."

After lifting the indoor mask mandate, confirmed cases in Israel surged explosively. New cases increased from 26 on the 15th to 125 on the 21st, and 205 on the 25th. Bloomberg reported, "Daily new cases were in single digits in mid-June, but this week (21st-23rd) recorded triple digits for three consecutive days."

It is estimated that 7 out of 10 new cases are infections of the Delta variant. Most are children who have not yet been vaccinated or overseas arrivals, but there have been cases of infection even after receiving two doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

Israel rapidly increased its vaccination rate and lifted many quarantine measures early. Lockdowns were gradually eased starting in February this year, outdoor mask mandates were lifted in April, and indoor mask mandates were lifted from the 15th of this month. However, as cluster infections have recently occurred mainly in schools, the government is tightening quarantine measures again.

Last May, a photographer in Hungary was preparing to take a graduation photo of a high school student wearing a mask. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Another vaccination leader, Hungary, is taking the opposite approach. Currently, 47.7% of Hungary's population (4.66 million people) have completed vaccination.

The Hungarian government announced on the same day, "When the number of people who have received at least one dose reaches 5.5 million, we will lift indoor and outdoor mask mandates and will no longer require vaccination certificates at hotels, restaurants, saunas, and water parks."

As of this date, 5,445,544 people in Hungary have received at least one vaccine dose. Considering the weekly average daily vaccination rate is in the 70,000s, the government plans to lift many quarantine measures within a day or two.