Israel opens borders to unvaccinated tourists

Strict entry policy eased as coronavirus cases drop

Passengers walk through the arrivals hall of Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv on January 9, 2022, after Israel opened its borders to vaccinated tourists. EPA

Israel will admit unvaccinated tourists for the first time since the pandemic began, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced on Sunday.

Infections and deaths in the country caused by the coronavirus continue to decline.

“We are seeing a consistent decline in morbidity data,” he said.

Israel shut its borders to travellers in early 2020 as the coronavirus spread worldwide. “It is time to gradually open what we were the first in the world to close,” Mr Bennett said.

As of March 1, tourists will need to take a PCR test before boarding a flight to Israel and a second one upon landing.

Israeli citizens will only be required to take the test upon arrival.

An attempt to open the borders to immunised visitors last November foundered within weeks because of the speed at which the Omicron variant spreads.

Israel began its vaccine programme in December 2020 and was among the first nations to bring in a vaccination certificate. Called the green pass, it was needed to enter many public venues.

On Thursday, Mr Bennett said the green pass system would end, owing to the decline in infections.

About 13,500 new cases were reported in Israel on Sunday, down from more than 85,000 daily cases in late January.

Ninety-one people died of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 9,933.