Newly appointed Health Minister Yuli Edelstein has temporarily lifted the requirement for citizens to wear protective masks in open public spaces and in classrooms until Friday, March 22, due to the heatwave. Israel is in the midst of what may be its longest and most extreme heatwave ever recorded this week, with temperatures expected to sit consistently around 104°F (40°C) for a period of six days. “Protection from coronavirus must be taken seriously,” Edelstein said in a statement late Monday night. “But the heatwave may be dangerous in and of itself. Based on the recommendations of professionals, I decided to allow people to take off their masks as long as they are not in a crowded area.” He noted that a clause in the original order allows the ministry to decide if there are certain circumstances in which the requirement to wear a mask need not apply. The new order specifically allows students in school and people who are in open areas or buildings without air-conditioning to go without a mask. In close quarters or in places where there are crowds, a mask must still be worn. Earlier on Monday, the Israel Ambulatory Pediatric Association said that there should be flexibility when it comes to children wearing masks and that it might be OK to exempt them, at least until the end of the heatwave.
“The effectiveness of the masks in preventing infection among the children themselves is unclear and there is no evidence in the scientific literature,” a statement by the association said. ” Beyond that, the impression that comes from most of the data is that children are not significantly infected.”
The statement said that although the Education Ministry’s recommendation for wearing masks should be respected, “in the current heatwave, children wearing masks for long hours is impractical and extremely difficult.”
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