Israelis who purchased tickets to fly over the holidays will still be able to travel despite a three-week closure that goes into effect on Friday.
Health Minister Yuli Edelstein, Transportation Minister Miri Regev, Interior Minister Arye Deri and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi agreed on an air travel outline on Monday. According to the plans, Israelis will be allowed to leave and enter Israel through Ben-Gurion Airport, which will continue to operate in accordance with Purple Ribbon standards.
Citizens leaving the country must present a valid ticket four hours before their flight and then they will be allowed to travel more than 500 meters from their home to arrive at the airport.
Citizens returning to Israel from green countries will not be required to enter isolation but will be subject to the lockdown rules enforced throughout the rest of the country.
Israelis traveling back from red states will still be required to quarantine.
Travelers should check the Health Ministry website before and during travels, as some countries that were formerly green are becoming red.
As per the current instructions, all travelers must have taken a coronavirus test within 72 hours of their flight and be able to present a negative result upon arrival in their host country.
In addition, new immigrants will still be allowed to enter the country during closure.
The decision comes after a seven-hour cabinet meeting on Sunday, at which ministers voted to close the country for three weeks, from September 18 to October 11. At the meeting, Regev requested that those who had already booked flights be allowed to use their tickets. It was decided that the airport would remain in operation.