New Covid variant: Israel bars tourists, reimposes quarantine rules

November 28, 2021 13:58

Israel is banning the entry of foreigners for two weeks to prevent the spread of the new Omicron coronavirus strain, local media reports said on Sunday.

Israel has decided to bar tourists, reinstate quarantine rules to contain the Omicron, The Times of Israel reported. The decision to close the borders for 14 days was made at a corona cabinet meeting on Saturday night.

"We are now in a space of uncertainty. It's not an easy space to be in, but we are all determined to maintain our tremendous achievement from the Delta - an open Israel with a functioning economy and an open education system, that is the top priority. To do this, we will need very close supervision of the state's borders and proceed with caution and with a minimum of risks," Prime Minister Naftali Bennett tweeted.

The latest COVID-19 variant identified in South Africa has been given the Greek name 'Omicron', and labeled as a variant of concern by the United Nations health agency experts due to its large number of mutations and possible faster rate of infection.

Preliminary evidence also suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant of concern, as compared to other strains, such as Delta, according to the UN World Health Organization.

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