Europe 1 with AFP 2:54 p.m., December 19, 2021
The Israeli government on Sunday banned its citizens from traveling to several European countries including France on the red list, and the United States could be added to it, in order to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.
The Israeli government on Sunday banned its citizens from traveling to several European countries including France on the red list, and the United States could be added to it, in order to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.
These restrictions on travel abroad, which already affected most African countries as well as Great Britain and Denmark, now also apply to Spain, Finland, France, Ireland, Norway, Sweden and also the United Arab Emirates.
The United States soon on the red list?
The Israeli Ministry of Health also recommended adding to this red list the United States, despite the hundreds of thousands of binationals, as well as Germany, Belgium, Hungary, Italy, Morocco, Portugal. , Switzerland and Turkey.
This proposal has yet to be validated by the government.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has defended these travel restrictions, which he says are necessary to avoid resorting to new lockdowns.
"Time is running out. European countries have either instituted lockdowns or are preparing to do so," he said on Sunday before a cabinet meeting.
Travelers from countries placed on the red list are prohibited from entering Israel, with some exceptions.
Israeli citizens and residents in a newly redlisted country will be required to observe a one-week quarantine upon their return.
More than 440 cases of the Omicron variant have already been detected in Israel, a month after its identification in South Africa.