Health Ministry Director General Prof. Nachman Ash said on Sunday that travel abroad should be restricted as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage on in Israel and the rest of the world, fueled by the highly transmissible Delta variant.
“We will continue to tighten oversight over our flight policy in the coming weeks and look into ramping up our protection against the importation of [coronavirus] variants from abroad,” Ash told a press briefing. “It is not the time to go abroad since the pandemic still rages on in many countries. Non-essential travel is unnecessary and could lead to unnecessary infections. It could also bring in new, and potentially more dangerous, viruses and variants.
He added that tourists who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be barred from entering the country in the near future, despite the country having set out to open its borders on August 1.
Prof. Ash also urged Israelis returning from abroad to adhere to isolation protocols to prevent further virus outbreaks. According to him, law enforcement will clamp down on offenders but was cautious to confirm any harsh restrictions on Israeli society as health officials pursued a policy of “living beside the pandemic.”
The Times of Israel quoting Channel 12 news said:
Health officials are considering immediately requiring all returnees to self-isolate for seven days upon arrival, instead of the current 24-hour quarantine required for those arriving from countries not considered to have high rates of infection.
The network stated that officials are considering closing the airport entirely for all non-essential travel if cases continue to rise. But it added that this would not happen immediately, and that Israeli travelers would be given enough time to prepare if such a move is ultimately decided upon.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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6 Responses
Completely outrageous and unacceptable. Israelis have been able to travel freely to the U.S throughout the pandemic whether vaccinated or not. But vaccinated Jewish Americans cannot enter Israel even if they are fully vaccinated. It is time for some reciprocity.
Israel receives billions of dollars every year in free aid, paid for by American taxpayers. Yet the Israeli government believes it can ban fully vaccinated American Jews from entering Israel. It is time for them to show a little respect and stop banning fully vaccinated American Jews from entering Israel.
Sure they’re making a lot more money this way! Charging exorbitant fees for those who enter!
I commend them for doing the right thing. lives comes first!
Would this include bochurim from abroad?
We now need a vaccine against government control
You spit on the Torah and advertised in Germany to invite gays to the israeli gay parades. Now G-d is closing your airports which will isolate normal tourists who bring financial spending to Israel. Measure for measure,the fundamental rule in the Torah from Egypt to today