Israel’s Health Ministry said on Monday that Ben-Gurion airport will remain open during the upcoming nationwide lockdown but only flights that have already been scheduled will be permitted to take off and land.
No new flights will be approved as long as the lockdown is in effect. New olim are an exception to the rule and will be permitted to fly into Israel.
Israelis traveling to the airport during the lockdown for previously scheduled flights, bearing valid tickets in the four hours before their flight, will not be fined for traveling more than 500 meters from their homes. Only those bearing valid tickets will be allowed through police checkpoints at the airport.
The Health Ministry added that two “green” states that Israelis are currently allowed to visit without being required to quarantine upon their return home – Bulgaria and Croatia – may soon have their “green status” revoked. That would leave Greece as the only “green” country that accepts Israeli tourists upon proof of negative coronavirus results.
The lockdown goes into effect on Erev Rosh Hashanah, on Friday at 2 p.m.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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2 Responses
Seems like a Trump style “lockdown” where he banned all flights from China but waited for another month to ban flights from Europe allowing millions of incoming passengers including tens of thousands whose travel had originated in China and then transited through Europe to the U.S. If the situation is as bad as the Health Ministry seems to suggest it is (in terms of overwhelming the hospitals capability to treat more patients) then ALL flights into and out of EY should be banned immediately w/o exceptions until the infection rate is lowered.
@Gadolhadorah
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