UAE visa exemption to be delayed due to high COVID infection rates
The almost five month delay comes as Israeli officials discuss further restrictions on flights into and out of the country.
By TZVI JOFFRE‘BLACK-SWAN event’: Empty departure halls at Ben-Gurion Airport, October.(photo credit: OLIVIER FITOUSSI/FLASH90)
The exemption approved for Israeli tourists to enter the United Arab Emirates without a visa will not take effect until July 1 due to increased coronavirus infection rates, the UAE Foreign Ministry announced Monday.Until July 1, Israeli citizens will be required to obtain an entry visa before flying to the UAE, and Emirati citizens will be required to obtain an entry visa before flying to Israel.Earlier this month, the UAE ratified an agreement on visa-free travel between the two countries. It was meant to go into effect on February 12, but it will now be delayed.Similar visa restrictions have been implemented by the UAE due to the coronavirus crisis for additional countries, including most of Europe, India and Pakistan.The news comes as Israeli officials discuss further restrictions on flights into and out of the country as coronavirus infection rates remain high.At least 5,630 new cases of COVID-19 were reported on Sunday, with 9.1% of tests returning positive, the Health Ministry reported Monday morning. While 9.1% is a record in the percentage of tests returning positive since the beginning of the pandemic, the number of tests was also lower than average.Government officials held an urgent meeting Sunday night about more restrictions for Ben-Gurion Airport, limiting travel only for humanitarian, diplomatic or business reasons, Channel 12 reported. They also discussed expanding the list of countries from which returning travelers would be required to enter coronavirus hotels, the report said.The Attorney-General’s Office and the Justice Ministry had been against requiring all Israelis returning to the country to show a negative coronavirus test, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein told Army Radio Monday morning.The attorney-general had prevented officials from requiring coronavirus tests at Ben-Gurion Airport, but a legal solution had been found, Transportation Minister Miri Regev said Monday.In response, the Attorney-General’s Office said it had not prevented the government from requiring it, but there was an appropriate legal way to conduct the issue, which was explained to the relevant officials.
