RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Senior Israeli officials said last week that they would abolish the Covid vaccination passport, called the “Green Passport” in the country, in restaurants, hotels, gyms, and theaters. Prime Minister Naftali Bennet’s government said the new regulation would take effect Sunday, Feb. 6, subject to approval by a parliamentary committee. Israel’s proof-of-vaccination policy will remain in effect for events such as parties or weddings.
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“Keeping the green pass can create false safeguards,” said Nadav Davidovitch, an epidemiologist and public health physician who advises Prime Minister Naftali Bennet’s government.
“It doesn’t reduce infections in closed spaces like theaters. It should be used primarily in high-risk locations such as hospitals, nursing homes, or events where people eat, sing, and dance.”
In the past, some Israeli ministers have argued that there is no epidemiological justification for expanding the vaccination passport system, which they say is not likely to encourage people who do not want to be vaccinated.
Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman recently wrote on Twitter, “I’ve said it before, and I’ll repeat it: we will not extend the Green Pass beyond Feb. 6, not even for a second.”
Few studies have been conducted to determine whether vaccination passports actually reduce cases, hospitalizations, or deaths from Covid-19. However, some studies have shown that vaccination passports can increase vaccine uptake in countries that have been implemented.