From the Liveblog of
Sunday, February 20, 2022
Israel to open to unvaccinated tourists, end pre-flight test for returning Israelis
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleAmy Spiro is a reporter and writer with The Times of Israel
Ministers agree to reopen Israel’s skies to unvaccinated tourists of any age, but still require two negative PCR tests, while canceling one test requirement for returning Israelis.
Under the new guidelines, set to come into effect on March 1, tourists of all ages, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, will be allowed to enter Israel, as long as they submit a negative PCR before boarding and take another PCR after landing.
Israelis returning to Israel will not have to take a pre-flight test, but only need to take a PCR upon landing.
Even unvaccinated Israelis will not have to quarantine upon returning to Israel as long as they test negative upon landing, the ministers agree.
“We are seeing a consistent decline in morbidity data, so it is time to gradually open what we were the first in the world to close,” says Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. “At the same time, we will keep our finger on the pulse and in the case of a new variant, we will respond quickly once again.”
Mandatory weekly tests for schoolchildren will also come to an end — for middle schools on Thursday, and for elementary schools on March 10.
The Times of Israel Community.