Israel has built a rapid Covid- 19 testing stations all over the nations on Sunday. The Magen David Adom emergency service stated that the government is trying to prevent another lockdown resulting from the pandemic. "Following a request from the Ministry of Health, Magen David Adom on Sunday opened 120 rapid detection stations," said an MDA statement.
Non-vaccinated and those who have recovered from the disease, the testing sites will provide a health pass and test results in just 15 minutes. From Sunday morning, individuals who are not vaccinated must show their negative test report for Coronavirus not older than 24 hours. Meanwhile, for children under the age of 12, health passes will be extended from August 20.
For the past few weeks, Israel has been reporting an average of over 3,000 fresh Covid cases in a single day which is the highest since April. The increase in the count is a setback for the country after it led the world vaccine campaign that pressed down new Covid cases from 10,000 a day to fewer than 100.
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Tests at these centres will cost 52 shekels ($16), enabling those tested to receive a health ministry pass that will be useful for 24 hours.
"Lockdown will be imposed as a last resort and we will do everything to avoid it," Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said in a statement as he hailed the takeoff of the rapid test service.
Last December, Israel was one of the first nations to start a major vaccination campaign after an agreement with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer giving it rapid access to millions of doses in exchange for biomedical data citing the effects of the vaccine.
Despite the massive covid inoculation campaign that declined the infection tally, cases of the virus have increased again with the emergence of the Delta variant affecting the unvaccinated adults and in those who have taken the vaccine six months ago.
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Israel has now launched a campaign to administer a third booster shot of the Covid vaccine for the elderly and has also replaced the health pass.
The nation has also lifted most of the covid restrictions in early June but few were reimposed last month following the resurgence in cases. People who have been fully vaccinated, cured or have a negative PCR test not less than 72 hours are only allowed to enter places holding more than 100 people, indoors or outdoors.