Schools open in Israel amid high infection rates

The new school year started in Israel on Wednesday morning as 2.4 million students returned to class despite having one of the world's highest rates of infection due to the rapid spread of the delta variant.

Israel hopes it will be able to contain the spread of the new delta variant with the use of rapid virus tests and Green Passes for vaccinated teachers.

According to government's decision, non-vaccinated education system employees will show negative results twice a week.

In cities listed "red" with high numbers of cases, students in grades 8-12 will be able to attend school only if more than 70% of the class has been inoculated.

If lower than 70%, students will learn online.

Uri Perelman, principal of Arazim school in Tel Aviv, said that they were used to adjusting to new rules after 18 months of various pandemic restrictions.

"This is the new normal for us, and whatever comes we can deal with it," he said.

On Sunday, Israel expanded its coronavirus booster shot program to include anyone over 12.

The decision is the latest phase of a booster program that began last month with Israelis over 60.

It was expanded in phases over several weeks to people in their 50s, 40s and 30s.

More than 2.1 million people - more than 20% of the country's roughly 9 million people - have received a third dose.

Israel was one of the first countries to vaccinate its population early this year, allowing the government to drop almost all restrictions on public activities.

But it now has one of the world's highest rates of infection due to the rapid spread of the delta variant, even among the vaccinated, and has reinstated mask mandates and limits on crowd sizes.

On Tuesday, Israel's Health Minister reported nearly 11,000 cases, a new daily record.