|
 The decision followed a warning by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on
Tuesday over new outbreaks caused by the Delta variant, with daily
infections rising after weeks of low plateau credited to Israel's
record mass-vaccination drive.
Under the updated Health Ministry directives, vaccinated or formerly
infected people can be ordered to self-isolate for up to 14 days if
authorities believe they may have been in "close contact with a
carrier of a dangerous virus variant".
Such proximity could include having been passengers on the same
plane, the ministry said - a possible dampener on Israel's gradual
opening of its borders to vaccinated summer tourists.
Addressing parliament, Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said fines of
"thousands of shekels" would also be levied against Israeli citizens
or residents who travel to countries blacklisted as high COVID-19
risks.
On June 16, the Health Ministry listed Argentina, Brazil, South
Africa, India, Mexico and Russia as off-limits to Israeli citizens
or residents unless they receive special permission.
[to top of second column] |
 Some 55% of Israel's 9.3
million population have received both doses of
the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and a steep drop in
cases had prompted most economic restrictions to
be lifted. Eligibility for the
shots was extended to 12- to 15-year-olds last month but turnout in
that age group has been low. Alarmed by contagions in two Israeli
schools last week, Bennett urged parents to vaccinate their
adolescents.
The Health Ministry said on Wednesday that parents of children who
violate quarantine would face fines of 5,000 shekels ($1,540).
Bennett said a new "corona cabinet", or ministerial task force to
deal with the pandemic, would be established as part of the new
government sworn in this month.
($1 = 3.2523 shekels)
(Writing by Dan Williams; Additional reporting by Steven Scheer;
Editing by Peter Graff)
[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content |
