People wear protective face masks as they shop at a market, amid Israel’s second-wave coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdown, in Jerusalem, Oct. 5, 2020. Photo: Reuters / Ammar Awad.

i24 News – Israel will reinstate the indoor mask mandate starting Sunday due to a resurgence of COVID-19, the country’s coronavirus czar said on Thursday.

Also Thursday, Israel’s Health Ministry reported that 169 new coronavirus cases had been registered since midnight.

The announcement by Prof Nachman Ash came as Israel has registered over 100 new cases for a fourth consecutive day, after weeks in which the daily average was consistently lower than 20 after a world-beating vaccination rollout that has seen more than 55 percent of the population receive both doses of the vaccine.

“I call on the public to consider whether going abroad at this time is essential. It is advisable to avoid non-essential travel abroad,” he said, adding “that’s not the time to fly with unvaccinated children.”

On Monday, the health ministry recommended children aged 12-15 be vaccinated.

Health Ministry figures show that young people aged 10-19 were the worst hit by the virus last month, as it spread through schools in Israel’s north.

The country has recorded a total of over 840,000 coronavirus cases, including 6,428 deaths.