Israel bans international flights to curb coronavirus spread

By Dan Williams

© Reuters/RONEN ZVULUN
Israeli teenagers get COVID-19 vaccine

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel will ban passenger flights in and out of the region from Monday night for a 7 days as it seeks to stop the unfold of new coronavirus variants.

“Other than scarce exceptions, we are closing the sky hermetically to avert the entry of the virus variants and also to make certain that we progress quickly with our vaccination campaign,” Israeli Key Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explained in community remarks at the start off of a cabinet assembly.

© Reuters/RONEN ZVULUN
Israeli teenagers get COVID-19 vaccine

The ban will come into drive from Monday at 2200 GMT and very last right until the close of January, a statement from Netanyahu’s office stated.

The country’s borders have mainly been shut to foreigners in the course of the pandemic, with only Israeli passport holders permitted entry.

Also on Sunday, Israel expanded its immediate vaccination generate to include things like late teenagers. The vaccines were initially limited to the elderly and other superior-risk types, but are now out there to anybody over 40 or – with parental authorization – all those between 16 and 18.

Israel bans global flights to suppress coronavirus spread

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The inclusion of late teens is intended “to permit their return (to faculty) and the orderly keeping of exams,” the Education Ministry spokeswoman stated.

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Israel awards a matriculation certificate to higher college college students in grades 10-12 who go examinations, administered by the Training Ministry, that perform a main function in acceptance to universities. They can also affect placement in the armed forces, exactly where several Israelis do compulsory service following higher university.

Israel has the world’s swiftest vaccine distribution rate. With typical imports of Pfizer Inc. vaccines, it has administered at minimum one particular dose to far more than 25% of its 9 million population since Dec. 19, the Overall health Ministry suggests.

The country has been underneath a 3rd countrywide lockdown because Dec. 27, which it programs to raise at the stop of January. Critics say the governing administration has mishandled the disaster, missing a distinct lengthy-phrase system and making it possible for politics to cloud its conclusions.

Education and learning Minister Yoav Galant, speaking on Ynet Tv set, stated it was also early to know if universities would reopen following month.

(Additional reporting by Maayan Lubell Producing by Maayan Lubell and Dan Williams Editing by Frances Kerry)