Vaccinated tourists coming from “white countries” will be able to enter Israel without the requirement of undergoing a serological test, according to the current outline the Health Ministry is working on, a health official said Tuesday.
These countries meet the Health Ministry’s criteria in terms of their coronavirus situation and are considered to be very low risk.
According to the official, the professionals at the ministry are continuing to work on the outline to allow vaccinated foreign nationals from selected nations to enter the country starting July 1. However, this will need to be discussed with Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz along with the rest of coronavirus regulations. Some changes in policies might still occur.
Last Thursday, former tourism minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen said inoculated individuals would be able to enter the country next month after former interior minister Arye Deri signed a document to that effect. While there was no indication that the plan would change, it was still too early to tell, a Tourism Ministry representative said Tuesday.
During the transition ceremony at the Tourism Ministry, Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov said bringing back foreign tourists would be his No. 1 priority and that he and Horowitz had been discussing the topic.
“I see creating a correct and effective outline to bring back foreign tourists to Israel as my first mission in this position, obviously without endangering [the health of] Israeli citizens,” Razvozov said.
“I have already spoken to incoming Health Minister Horowitz, and we will set up a meeting with the professional staff,” he said, adding that the pilot program that has already allowed a limited number of tourists to enter Israel has proven that this can be done safely.
At the moment, all those who are vaccinated abroad and enter Israel are required to prove the presence of antibodies in their blood with a serological test and to quarantine until they receive its results, which makes traveling to the country especially burdensome.
The goal of the outline the Health Ministry has been working on is to simplify things and eliminate the need for the serological test, the health official said.
According to the outline that is currently under discussion, only people from countries that meet the criteria set by the ministry and only those who have been vaccinated – not those who have had COVID-19 and recovered – will be allowed in. Regarding the types of vaccines accepted, all those developed in the Western world would be considered valid.
The ministry’s staff is also working on the technological aspect of the matter, including online forms to complete; currently, anyone who enters Israel is required to fill out an entry statement.
The ministry’s professional staff is working on the outline, and new decisions on policy might still be made since all aspects of the coronavirus regulations are in the process of being presented to Horowitz, the official said.