Prime Minister Naftali Bennett delivers televised remarks after touring Ben Gurion Airport, saying there are signs that the so-called Delta variant is beginning to spread in Israel.
He says some of those infected by the strain, first identified in India, were vaccinated, but stresses inoculations provide “significant” protection against COVID-19.
“In light of the data, we are treating the situation as a renewed outbreak,” Bennett says.
He announces that the new government will form a coronavirus cabinet, anyone at Ben Gurion Airport will have to be masked, and all arrivals will have to undergo a PCR test.
“Whoever doesn’t need to go abroad, don’t go abroad,” he says.
Bennett hints there could be “significant changes” to the current policies on entering and exiting the country.
The premier also recommends that Israelis don face coverings in enclosed spaces — weeks after the requirement to do so was lifted — and urges Israelis between 12 and 15-years-old to get vaccinated.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett delivers televised remarks at Ben Gurion Airport on June 22, 2021. (Jack Guez/AFP)
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, June 22, 2021
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
