Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Tuesday that the government was treating the surge in COVID-19 infections across the country as a new outbreak.
In a televised address to the nation from Ben Gurion Airport, Bennett said that the government was taking steps to quash the outbreak — attributed to the Delta variant originally discovered in India — at its early stages, detailing the measures his government would implement, including reinstating the so-called coronavirus cabinet.
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Prime Minister Naftali Bennett giving a televised announcement from Ben Gurion Airport amid new OCIVD-19 outbreak
(Photo: AFP)
He called on Israelis to act with caution since the Delta variant may also infect those who have been fully vaccinated against the virus.
The premier announced that the indoor mask mandate at Ben Gurion Airport will be put back in place and that all arrivals from abroad will be tested for the pathogen. The Defense Ministry said earlier Tuesday that it would set up a testing complex at the airport, which is Israel's main gateway.
In addition, Bennett advised Israelis to avoid traveling abroad, adding that government may change its instructions on the issue may in the near future.
He also called on parents to vaccinate their children against the pathogen following a spate of outbreaks at schools and recommended Israelis should go back to wearing face masks in closed spaces.
"There is no need to panic," Bennett said. "We are in a good situation at the moment. We are going to protect the borders of the state and within the country. We must do this together."
However, medical experts have assured government officials that the likelihood of a pandemic relapse and a return to stringent restrictions remains low.
i24NEWS contributed to this story.