Corona virus in Israel. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announces the fifth wave of the epidemic

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said at a press conference on Sunday that the fifth wave of the pandemic had begun in the country, recommending working from home and urging children to be vaccinated. – The Omicron is coming. In three or four weeks there will be no doubt about this – said the Prime Minister.

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On Sunday, the Israeli Ministry of Health recommended that 10 countries – the USA, Canada, Turkey, Italy, Hungary, Morocco, Portugal, Switzerland, Belgium and Germany – be given red status, that is, banning them from travel. A joint meeting of the ministry and the Knesset’s Law, Constitution and Health Committee is scheduled for Monday morning, during which the proposal will be approved.

As reported in the Jerusalem Post, the ban is expected to take effect Tuesday evening. And the Israeli Constitutional Committee decided, on Sunday, that it was not possible to travel to the United Arab Emirates, Ireland, Norway, Spain, Finland, France, and Sweden, as of Monday. The list of countries in the red zone already includes Great Britain, Denmark, South Africa and several other African countries.

Only possession of a government-issued permit is exempt from the ban. Vaccinated travelers returning from embargoed countries will be required to quarantine for at least seven days (one night of which will be spent in a designated hotel). Those who are not vaccinated will be forced to isolate themselves in such a hotel for seven days.

Israel has been closed to foreign visitors since late November. There is an exception to this rule for holders of certain types of visas, certain foreign workers, and people who need treatment in Israel.