The Israeli government announces this Monday the imminent reopening of its borders to foreign tourists vaccinated against Covid-19.
They have been closed for a month due to the discovery of a first case of the Omicron variant in a traveler returning from southern Africa.
As of January 9, vaccinated foreigners from "orange countries" will be able to return to Israel by performing a PCR or antigen test before boarding the plane.
They will have to carry out a PCR test on their arrival on Israeli soil where they will have to be in isolation for 24 hours, pending their result.
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The majority of countries are currently on this "orange" list, presenting an average risk related to the coronavirus.
The high-risk “red” list includes 17 countries including France, Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa and the United States.
The classifications committee, however, recommended on Monday to remove seven countries from this red list, including France, Canada and South Africa.
"It is no longer useful to close"
The Hebrew state closed its borders to foreign nationals, with certain exceptions, on November 28, a few days after the discovery of this highly contagious variant in a passenger returning from Malawi.
This was to minimize the spread of Omicron among the population.
But just like in Europe and North America, Israel is recording a significant jump in contamination these days.
This makes the border closures obsolete, local public health experts suggested last week, with the Omicron variant now circulating widely in the country.
“You close the borders in order to delay the entry of a variant or the number of cases linked to a variant.
But when this variant is present and spreads, it is no longer useful to close the borders, it is no longer logical, ”commented on Monday to a group of journalists Ronni Gamzu, former director of the government's anti-Covid strategy Israeli.
In hopes of alleviating the consequences of the spread of the Omicron variant, the country has started offering a fourth dose of vaccine to people aged 60 and over, deemed to be at greater risk of developing severe symptoms if infected. .