After vaccinating more than half of its population from COVID-19, Israel has lifted its outdoor mask mandate. However, Israel’s health minister has urged people to continue carrying masks with them for entry into indoor public spaces, where masks are still a requirement.
A Facebook post from Philippine Star showed maskless individuals around Tel Aviv:
Israel had an outdoor masking rule for around a year. And on April 19, 2021, the country opened its schools for the first time since last September.
While the country has been lauded for its vaccination program, it has also been criticized for neglecting the Palestinians living under Israeli occupation. Palestinian officials say there is a shortage of vaccines in their territories, and Israel is responsible for vaccinations. Israeli government officials say the Palestinian Authority has their own health ministry and is responsible for organizing vaccines themselves.
Given that Israel has announced the lifting of this mask mandate, we rate this claim as “True.”