Senior government officials will recommend the government impose quarantine on those arriving from Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Denmark and the UK due to concerns that they may have been exposed to a new strain of coronavirus.
Israeli airlines have been instructed no to allow non-Israelis who do not hold permanent residence, from those countries to board flights to Israel.
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A passenger at Ben Gurion International Airport arrivals hall in August
(Photo: Moti Kimchi)
The so-called Coronavirus Cabinet will that will meet on Sunday will also be asked to consider closing the airports to all flights because of the continued spread of the virus.
On Sunday, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said he hoped the decision to close the airport all together will be taken. "We must protect our borders. The priority must be safety and steps we can take now may come too late if we wait," he said.
The Health Ministry has been considering conducting a genetic test for people returning from the UK where more than 1,000 cases of the new strain of coronavirus were already found. It is unclear whether the existing coronavirus vaccine is effective against the strain.
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Professor Roni Gamzu, former coronavirus czar and Director of the Ichilov Medical Center in Tel Aviv receives the coronavirus vaccine
(Photo: Moti Kimchi)
Professor Galia Rahav, head of infectious diseases at the Sheba Medical Center told Ynet that the new strain could be more infectious though there is no indication that it causes a more severe illness.
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Professor Galia Rahav Head of the Infectious Disease department at the Sheba Medical Center
(Photo: Dana Kopel)
The UK has announced restrictions over the Christmas holiday in an effort to slow the spread of the virus.
Prime Minister Boris Jonson on Saturday said that there was no evidence to suggest the coronavirus vaccine will be any less effective against the new variant
First published: 09:12, 12.20.20