Israeli PM backs lifting COVID-19 restrictions

Tel Aviv [Israel], February 17 (ANI/Xinhua): Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Thursday backed lifting COVID-19 restrictions due to the recent decline in daily COVID-19 cases in the country.
Bennett made the remarks when he chaired a discussion of government officials, as the fifth wave of the coronavirus outbreak led by the Omicron variant started to decline.
"We were among the first countries to close gates in the Omicron wave. This is thus the time for a gradual relaxation," Bennett said, according to a statement released by his office.
"We must prepare to lift the restrictions soon," he added.
The country's "Green Pass" scheme, under which only vaccinated people can enter certain public venues, will not be extended beyond March 1, the statement said.
Israel recorded 2,098 new COVID-19 cases over the past day, according to figures released by the Israeli health ministry on Thursday morning. (ANI/Xinhua)