Jerusalem: The health ministry of Israel advised prohibiting Israelis from visiting the United States on Sunday, and adding numerous European countries to its Covid “red list,” aimed at limiting the spread of the Omicron variant. Barring Israeli citizens and residents from travelling to the United States would be a huge move for Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s government, given the hundreds of thousands of dual nationals and close relation between the two nations ‘Israel is in the midst of its fifth wave of Covid-19. The Omicron variant is already here and it is spreading fast’, said Bennett.
Bennett had earlier noted that he would continue to limit travel to avoid more lockdowns. He also said that Israel gained “valuable time” by halting travel when the Omicron strain was discovered in South Africa last month. Israeli citizens and residents will be barred from travelling to France, Spain, Finland, Sweden, Ireland, Norway, and the UAE, according to a recommendation made by the Ministry of Health on Sunday. The United Kingdom and Denmark, as well as the majority of Africa, were already on the redlist. In addition to the United States, the health ministry suggested that Canada ,Germany, Hungary, Morocco Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Portugal and Turkey be red-listed, a recommendation that is still awaiting government and legislative approval. When a country is marked red, Israeli citizens and residents who are already abroad must quarantine for a week after returning home.
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