As the number of suspected Omicron carriers in Israel rise to 13 on Sunday, the Health Ministry is making frantic efforts to track down 800 Israelis who may have been exposed to the new COVID variant.

The first confirmed Omicron carrier, a foreign worker who had returned from the African country of  Malawi, traveled by bus from Tel Aviv to Eilat late last week before being located, exposing 28 passengers. Twelve of the passengers have still not been located.

The Defense Ministry reopened quarantine hotels on Friday and the IDF’s Home Front Command is currently trying to track down hundreds of people who recently returned to Israel from southern African countries to instruct them to be tested and enter quarantine.

Israel has banned travel to 50 African countries.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)