Ben-Gurion Airport officials announced on Monday that only ticket-holders will be allowed into passenger terminals, with non-passengers barred from entering.
Entry to terminals 1 and 3 will only be allowed to passengers holding a boarding ticket up to four hours before their departure, with only minors and passengers with disabilities permitted to be accompanied into the terminal by non-ticket holders.
Virus cases in Israel have continued to rise and the number of seriously ill patients surpassed 100 on Monday for the first time in months, which Health Ministry Director-General Prof. Nachman Ash called “troubling.”
Some health officials have called to implement tighter travel restrictions but the Bennett-Lapid government has been reluctant to implement too many virus rules, only voting last week to reinstate the “green pass” system, allowing only vaccinated and recovered patients to attend some public events.
Contrary to the government, a poll carried out for Radio 103FM showed surprising results: 59% of the Israeli public think that closing Ben-Gurion is an appropriate restriction versus 41% of the public who are opposed to the measure.
The poll results also showed that 48% of the public support a further tightening of coronavirus restrictions versus 52% who prefer the existing situation.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
It’s definitely the smart decision!
This has been the normal policy at some major global airports for years and it makes absolute sense, especially during these times. Anyone who has flown in/out of BG airport knows what a “zoo” it can be with crowds of people congregating around the security gates waiting to greet arrivals or say a last goodbye to departures. For some reason, travelers come to a dead stop just as they reach the entrances and exits blocking those behind them while they do a tearful hello/goodbye to their friends and mishpacha in the welcome delegation waving signs and balloons without regard to everyone else. Both for public health and security reasons, as well as simple ease of transit, this policy should remain in effect even after Covid with the obvious exception of allowing one family member or aide to assist minors or handicapped. (Of course, if you are a chashuvah rav or askan, you are greeted at the boarding ramp and privately escorted out through the VIP area and don’t have to deal with any of the above.)
One does not have to be a chashuvah rav or askan, to be greeted at the boarding ramp and privately escorted out through the VIP area. You just need to pay for it. The excellent Ben Gurion VIP service is open to anyone who pays for it.