Israel closes borders to non-citizens on Sunday for restricting Omicron coronavirus variant

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Israel shut down its borders to non-citizens at midnight on Sunday for restricting the Omicron coronavirus variant from spreading to the country.

Israelis returning home will now have to go through a strict quarantine regime and can be subjected to controversial phone tracking by the Shin Bet security service if anyone is found to have the new strain.

The measures, valid for two weeks, were approved on Sunday by the cabinet. Two people in Israel have been diagnosed with the Omicron variant, a highly mutated and infectious COVID-19 virus first detected in South Africa. Several others are under scanner for having the virus.

As per new rules, all Israelis entering the country, including those vaccinated against COVID-19, must take a PCR test at Ben Gurion Airport upon arrival and then immediately go to home for quarantine.

Vaccinated arrivals must spend at least three days in quarantine and carry on another PCR test. A negative result would dismiss quarantine. Those who don’t take the second test must stay in quarantine for 14 days.

Israelis arriving from countries on the government’s “red” list — which are countries with high COVID-19 infection rates or with Omicron cases — must go through a PCR test at the airport and then immediately check in at one of the country’s two state-run quarantine hotels, located in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. If the PCR test taken at the airport is negative, returnees can continue their quarantine at home, staying isolated for seven days and then going through a second PCR test.

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