As the world waits for a vaccine-driven return to normal, Israel is showing what a long and arduous road it will be.
With nearly half its population of 9.3 million having received at least one shot, Israel has dispensed more COVID-19 vaccines per capita than anywhere else in the world. It has banked on that rollout to start reopening its economy. On Sunday, theaters, sporting arenas, hotels and gyms were allowed to open for people who can show — using a "green pass” mobile app — that they’ve had both their shots or have recovered from the coronavirus.
But even as that brings hope for businesses shuttered for months, and for economies across the globe that have spent trillions of dollars to support people during lockdowns, Israel shows an emerging new normal that may not look much like the pre-pandemic world for some time to come.