“The effectiveness of the masks in preventing infection among the kids themselves is unclear and there is no evidence for it yet in the scientific literature,” the Pediatrics association said.
Newly appointed Health Minister Yuli Edelstein has decided to temporarily allow citizens to remove their face masks in classrooms and in public spaces until this coming Friday, May 22, due to the ongoing heat wave which hit Israel in recent days, as long as no large gatherings are created.
Edelstein said in a statement on Monday night that “protection from coronavirus must be taken seriously. But the heat wave may be dangerous in itself. Given the professional echelon’s recommendations, I have decided to allow the removal of the masks in public spaces, as long as public gatherings don’t form.”
“Section 3 (e) of the Public Health Order gives authority to the Director to determine conditions and circumstances in which such a mask-wearing duty shall not apply,” Edelstein said.
The order issued by Health Ministry Director Moshe Bar Siman Tov reads that “by virtue of the Health Minister’s authority under section 20 (1) of the Public Health Order, 1940, and by section 3E (E) of the Public Health Order, I state that May 19, 2020 and until May 22, 2020, no facemask obligation will apply to students staying in the school, as well as to those in an open areas or non-air-conditioned buildings, except during a gathering, due to the extreme heat expected on these dates.”
Earlier on Monday, the Israeli Association of Pediatrics urged the Health Ministry not to require students to wear masks during the heat wave.
“The effectiveness of the masks in preventing infection among the children themselves is unclear and there is no evidence for it yet in the scientific literature,” the association said in a statement.
“Beyond that, the impression from most of the data is that children are not significantly contagious. The US Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends only teaching staff at school wear face masks,” the association said.
“The Education Ministry’s recommendation for wearing face masks was given as part of the overall recommendations for public spaces, and as such, it must be respected,” they added. “However, we believe that there is room to exempt schoolchildren from the obligation until the end of the current heat wave. ”
As reported by The Jerusalem Post