A discussion on the opening of Israel’s skies was held at a meeting of the Knesset’s coronavirus cabinet on Tuesday

“Our statistics are worsening,” said Dr. Asher Salmon, the director of the Health Ministry’s International Relations Department. “Our infection rate is ten times the threshold of a ‘green country’ and we have a long way to go. We’re not implementing restrictions for Israel but because of the restrictions of the European Union we cannot enter EU countries.”

“We’re formulating an outline for tourists to enter Israel from ‘green countries‘ and at the next coronavirus cabinet meeting, an outline for Israeli travelers will be presented. The return of Israelis from ‘red countries’ to Israel will require 14 days of quarantine.”

“The skies are open and have never been closed, in accordance with Health Ministry regulations of course,” said Eitan Ben-David, Deputy Chief of Staff for the National Security Council (NSC). “The morbidity rate in Israel is one of the highest in the world relative to the size of its population and it’s categorized as a ‘red country.’ Therefore most of the countries in the world aren’t allowing Israelis in or demand hermetic isolation.”

Ben-David added that procedural standards are being formulated to operate Ben-Gurion Airport and for the airlines traveling to and from Israel, but due to the infection rate, it has not yet been put into operation. “An aviation outline will be presented to the coronavirus cabinet in the coming days and we hope there will be good news,” he said.

“It’s not definite that a lab will be required at Ben-Gurion,” Ben-David added.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)