Beginning Wednesday, Israelis who test positive for the coronavirus but are asymptomatic as well as those exposed to a confirmed carrier will need to quarantine for five days instead of the previous seven.
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Confirmed carriers will need to take an at-home antigen test on the fourth and fifth day of their quarantine. Carriers can exit quarantine provided they test negative twice and are asymptomatic. Unvaccinated individuals exposed to a confirmed COVID carrier will be able to exit quarantine upon testing negative on the fifth day of their isolation period.
In an interview with Army Radio on Wednesday morning, Health Ministry Director-General Nachman Ash said a record number of Israelis, 71,000, had been confirmed as infected with COVID-19 the previous day. He said 200,000 Israelis likely tested positive for the virus, as many had performed at-home antigen tests.
According to Ash, there are 526 Israelis in serious condition.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is set to hold talks with senior Health Ministry officials to formulate a plan to end the current policy of week-long quarantines for unvaccinated students exposed to a confirmed coronavirus carrier following public pressure. Bennett is said to have been more open to the move after officials said they expect the reproduction rate to decline significantly over the next seven to 10 days.
Bennett has proposed Israeli students be continuously tested for the virus, as has been the policy in other locations around the world. Those found to be infected with COVID would enter quarantine, while all those who test negative, regardless of their vaccination status, will be allowed to remain at school.
Meanwhile, the Finance and Culture and Sports Ministries have agreed on an aid package to compensate actors, stage workers, independent artists, cultural institutions, and culture halls that have been out of work for the months of January and February.
As part of the package, the government will transfer 28 million shekels (around $9 million) to cultural institutions that continue to employ their workers as well as to pay independent contractors involved in any performance or event canceled due to the coronavirus. Another 10 million shekels (around $3 million) will go toward artists severely impacted by the decline in performances for schools and other places through the state's immediate acquisition of hundreds of such performances.
Another 50 million shekels (around $16 million) will go to local authorities across the country to benefit cultural activities.
The government will further increase funding of artists in distress to six million shekels (around $2 million) and will act to increase access to the funds for stage workers.
In addition, the ministries committed to expanding Israeli Cinema Day activities once morbidity levels decline.
In a statement, Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman said, "We are constantly acting to keep the market active and functioning, and alongside this, we are providing assistance to sectors that have been harmed. This is what we did for the tourism and aviation sectors, and this is what we are now doing to help the cultural sector."
Culture and Sports Minister Chili Tropper said, "We are committed to the world of culture, and we will continue to stand with it as we have done. We have done everything we can to also help independent artists, childrens' artists, as well as stage workers and the institutions we hold so dear."
In a statement, Shaham – The Israeli Actors' Organization said, "This is positive progress, but God is in the details. We thank Culture Minister Chili Tropper for the great effort he made in recent weeks …. The bottom line: The compensation needs to reach the pockets of artists, creators, and stage workers. If the money remains in the hands of the institutions, we haven't done much. Therefore, in the coming days, we will study the fine print of the framework and ascertain the money goes to those who really need it."
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