Israel bans travel to US, Germany over Omicron variant

Jerusalem, Dec 20 (EFE).- Israel on Monday included the United States and Germany, among others, to its travel red list to due to the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

The ban approved by the government on Monday also includes Italy, Portugal, Morocco, Turkey, Hungary, Switzerland and Canada, starting midnight on Tuesday. Israelis must obtain permits to head to these countries.

Upon their return, they must be quarantined for between a week to 10 days depending whether or not they are vaccinated.

As the highly infectious variant spreads around the world, Israel has been extending its black list to include most African countries, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Ireland, Belgium and Sweden.

In late November, Israel closed its borders to tourists, while internally it maintains a relatively normal daily life without strict measures. EFE

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