Israel imposes 14-day quarantine for travelers returning from Germany, Italy

The Health Ministry on Thursday added Italy and Germany to the list of countries with high coronavirus infections from which travelers returning to Israel must quarantine for 14 days.

Other European countries going through renewed outbreaks are Latvia, Lithuania and Serbia, and they were similarly added to the list of so-called red countries, the ministry said in a statement.

Those changes will take effect on November 8.

In addition, Vietnam was added to a separate list of “green countries” where infections are low and from which travelers can enter Israel without quarantine. That change takes effect on November 1.

The list of “green countries” already includes Australia, Canada, Cuba, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, New Zealand, Norway, Rwanda, Seychelles, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay.

The lists will next be revised on November 9.

All travelers to and from Israel are required to file an online health declaration on the Health Ministry website before entering the airport.

The ministry has urged travelers to check the requirements by their destination countries, specifically their policies for travelers coming from Israel.

Israel lifted an unpopular ban on citizens flying out of the country on October 15, as part of initial steps to ease the nationwide coronavirus lockdown.

The flight ban had been part of a slew of restrictions added on September 25 to reinforce a lockdown that began a week earlier.

Israel has recorded more than 300,000 coronavirus infections and over 2,500 deaths, out of a population of nine million.

The rate of new infections, however, is easing, with some 700 new cases reported on Wednesday, compared to more than 7,500 the day before the flight ban was introduced.

AFP contributed to this report.