Israel to Allow Unvaccinated Tourists into the Country
Israel announced this week unvaccinated tourists will be allowed entry from March 1, as the country begins rolling back most coronavirus restrictions.
The news follows last week’s announcement Israel would not be extending its Green Pass system granting entry to public places to recently recovered or vaccinated individuals.
Unvaccinated tourists of all ages will be allowed into the country pending a negative PCR test prior to boarding the flight and upon landing.
Unvaccinated Israelis will no longer be required to quarantine upon returning to Israel, pending a negative test.
Mandatory COVID testing for Israeli schoolchildren will also stop.
A picture taken from the Mount of Olives on February 18, 2022 shows tourists taking pictures of Jerusalem’s Old City and the Dome of the Rock in al-Aqsa mosque compound. (AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images)
“We are seeing a steady decline in the morbidity data; therefore, this is the time to gradually open what we were the first in the world to close,” Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said.
“Our indicators must be in sync with the situation on the ground. What we are telling the public must be in sync with what is expected of it,” he said. “In order to maintain the public’s trust and be certain that the citizens of Israel are implementing the directives and the government’s decision, we must open up as the situation improves – and it is improving significantly.”
“At the moment, the situation in Israel is good… At the same time, we will continue to closely monitor the situation and in the event of a new variant, we will again act quickly,” Bennett added.
According to the Health Ministry, around 10,000 new virus cases diagnosed on Saturday, marking the lowest daily rate since the beginning of January. Some 832 patients are seriously ill out of a total of 1,803 who have been hospitalized.
According to Israeli media reports, the mask mandate for indoors is likely to be scrapped in time for the Passover festival in April.
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