Beginning March 1, Israel will allow unvaccinated tourists to enter the country, ending the use of “green passes” in the country as the rest of the world comes out of COVID-19 lockdowns and ends restrictions.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said, “just as [Israel was] the first to take action and close the skies at the start of the wave, now we are gradually relaxing restrictions. Earlier today, I held a discussion with the Health Minister [Nitzan Horowitz] and various professionals. We are stopping the use of the green pass and soon we will announce additional measures to ease restrictions.”

Bennett’s statement cited the decline in Omicron cases.

“The Omicron wave is breaking. There is a steep decline in the number of serious verified cases. The strategy we have led, an open economy through all the waves, alongside dozens of persistent actions against the virus, has led the State of Israel, all of us, to be in first place in economic growth among OECD countries,” he said.

Starting March 1, those entering the country will need to take two PCR tests, one prior to departure and one upon landing. Previous requirements had travelers take an antigen test instead.

Those who have provided proof of vaccination have been allowed into Israel since November.

“We will continue to closely monitor the situation and in the event of a new variant, we will again act quickly,” Bennett said on Sunday.

It was also announced that Australia and Britain would be lifting restrictions as well. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the end to all pandemic legal curbs in England while Australia opened up to vaccinated travelers after two years.

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