People who are vaccinated abroad who enter Israel will have to enter quarantine despite the new regulations announced by the Health Ministry earlier this week stating that those who are fully vaccinated are exempt from quarantine, The Jerusalem Post reported on Wednesday.

On Sunday, Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said that those vaccinated with all three vaccines will be exempt from entering quarantine when returning to Israel from overseas. However, a Health Ministry spokesperson told the Post that travelers entering Israel, both Israeli and foreign nationals, will have to enter quarantine unless they received their booster shot in Israel.

The new regulations, which go into effect on Friday, allow fully vaccinated travelers to isolate only until they receive a negative coronavirus test result or up to 24 hours. “Fully vaccinated” refers to those who have received their booster shot at least a week beforehand and those who recovered and received one vaccine shot (those who recovered within the past six months and are not vaccinated will also be exempt from quarantine).

The Post reported that a Health Ministry hotline representative said that travelers who are vaccinated abroad can avoid entering quarantine by undergoing a Health Ministry approved serological test. If the test is positive for antibodies, the traveler can receive an Israeli recovery certificate and Green Pass and will be exempt from isolation.

However, the Post was told the opposite by the ministry’s spokesperson, that those vaccinated abroad will not be exempt from quarantine even if they undergo a serological test.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)