Coronavirus: Israel eases restrictions on land borders

Israeli authorities announced on Friday an easing of restrictions on the land borders with Jordan and Egypt, closed since the end of January in an attempt to stem the coronavirus pandemic.

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According to a government statement, some 700 Jordanians working in the hotel industry in the Red Sea resort of Eilzat, at the far end of Israel and near the Jordanian port of Aqaba, will be able to enter Israel.

These employees will have to undergo a drug test when they enter Israeli territory and then remain in quarantine, the statement said.

The date of entry into force of this authorization has not been specified.

The announcement comes in the wake of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cancellation of a historic trip to the United Arab Emirates over a "

With Jordan regarding the overflight of its airspace.

In addition, regarding the relaxation of anti-coronavirus measures, the Israeli government has decided to allow diplomats to use the crossing point over the Jordan, north of Eilat, and to cross from Israel to Egypt at the southern passage of Taba. .

Eilat's economy, heavily dependent on local and international tourism, has suffered greatly due to the pandemic.

As part of a gradual lifting of measures to combat Covid-19, Israel is gradually reopening its hotels, restaurants, bars and cafes as well as other businesses, but only to people who have been vaccinated.

Just over four of the country's nearly nine million people have so far received the two injections needed to be immunized with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

As of Friday, Israel officially recorded 815,462 cases of contamination, including 5,975 deaths.