Israel bans flight services until the end of January

Published on : Monday, January 25, 2021

The Israel government has decided to ban passenger flights in and out of the country with effect. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that the ban on flights is likely to last until the end of January in an effort to
hermetically prevent the entry of the virus variants and also to ensure that rapid progress is made with the country’s vaccination campaign.

Israeli borders have largely been closed to foreigners during the pandemic, with only passport holders allowed entry. The country has been under a third national lockdown since December 27, 2020. However, on Sunday, Israel expanded its rapid vaccination drive on to include late teens in what the government described as an effort to enable upcoming exams.

Israel has the fastest vaccine distribution rate in the world. With regular imports of Pfizer vaccines, it has administered at least one dose to more than 25 per cent of its nine million populations since December 19, according to the health ministry.