The health ministry on Wednesday added seven countries, including France, Spain and the UAE, to its “red” no-fly list, while reportedly considering expanding it further to include the United States.
Ireland, Norway, Finland and Sweden were the other four countries added to the list of countries in which Israelis will be barred from flying from Sunday evening as the government seeks to curb the spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant.
Foreigners from those countries cannot enter Israel, although current restrictions prevent almost all foreigners from entering the country. People who return from red countries are forced to enter quarantine in state-run hotels until their first COVID test comes back negative, after which they can leave, but they will be quarantined for seven days. Must remain in home quarantine, even if they have been fully vaccinated.
The list of red countries already includes the UK, Denmark and most of Africa.
There will be a cabinet meeting on Thursday to confirm the decision of the Health Ministry.
Channel 12 News reported on Wednesday evening that health officials were considering adding the United States, Portugal, Turkey, Germany, Hungary, Morocco and Canada to the list of red countries in the coming days.
The report said Prime Minister Naftali Bennett wants to take an aggressive approach to the no-fly list, linking places before major outbreaks begin.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett leads a cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem on December 12, 2021. (Emil Salman/Pool)
The cabinet also voted to expand current travel restrictions, including a ban on foreigners entering the country and requiring all Israelis to quarantine for three days upon entry. The limits will now last until at least December 29.
Currently, the only exception to the ban on foreigners is for first-class members of the family of those who marry, have a bar or bat mitzvah, or have given birth to apply. These can apply for special entry permits – which are still sometimes denied.
At the same time, a report on Wednesday claimed that the government had decision made To allow Taglit-Birthwright and other Jewish heritage tours to resume next week.
Separately on Wednesday, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Finance and the Economy announced a joint proposal to compensate Israel’s beleaguered tourism sector, which is further eliminated from the sanctions imposed amid the rise of the Omicron version. has gone. This led to the reopening of Israel’s borders to foreign tourists less than a month later.
The compensation package includes NIS 30,000 ($9,557) for training and scholarships for tourism industry workers who choose to move to another occupation, and a monthly stipend of NIS 10,000 ($3,186) for four months for those who do not. To cover the training course of. Trying to change career paths.
Tourism sector workers pleading for financial help from the Israeli government outside Ben Gurion International Airport on December 13, 2021. (Avshalom Sasoni/Flash90)
This assistance will apply to tour guides, travel agents and others who have been negatively affected by the ban on foreign entry into Israel.
Financial assistance will also be given to hotels whose income has dropped by more than 40% due to the new restrictions. Ministers also say they will fund 25,000 free tours for locals around Israel to provide NIS 25 million ($8 million) to local tour guides.
Those looking for immediate employment in the tourism industry will be offered a monthly salary of NIS 11,000 ($3,500) to work as COVID restrictions enforcers in schools or as contact tracers.
Some NIS 60 million ($19 million) will be allocated to reimburse the local tourism industry for marketing activities and personnel retention.