From tonight the borders of Israel will be closed to all foreigners: the government announced in a statement. “The entry of foreigners into Israel is prohibited with the exception of cases approved by a special commission,” reads a note from the prime minister’s office. For the next two weeks, no foreign citizen will therefore be able to enter. The measure comes into effect coinciding with the start of the celebrations of the Jewish festival of lights, Hanukkah.
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It was only since the beginning of this month that the borders had once again been opened to international tourism. More restrictive measures have also been ordered for vaccinated Israeli citizens returning from abroad: they will be forced into a mandatory 72-hour quarantine, and then undergo a second Covid test.
According to reports from the Israeli press, the government’s decision was not taken in agreement: some ministers opposed the more drastic choices. Among other things, it was decided to restore the controversial tracking program by the internal intelligence agency Shin Bet, used in the early stages of the pandemic, but the program will be used in a limited way for a short time, and only for patients. infected with the Omicron variant, according to news site Walla.
In the meantime, Israel is preparing to celebrate Hanukkah, the “festival of lights”, one of the most important for the Jewish religion, in a version once again limited by the Covid emergency. The feast begins tonight when the sun goes down and lasts 8 days, until December 6: it commemorates the consecration of a new altar in the Temple of Jerusalem in the second century BC and, together with Purim, it is the second of the feasts established by rabbinic decree, after the gift of the Torah.
The Israeli government has reduced the number of people who can participate in an event from 100 to 50, recommending that vaccinations be extended to children so that they too can celebrate as usual. Precisely to protect its citizens during this special anniversary, in the face of the risk of spreading the new Omicron variant of Covid, Israel decided last night to introduce new travel restrictions and in particular to close the borders to foreigners.
Omicron, the narrow anti variant. Governors in pressure: “Contain the flows to Italy”
ALESSANDRO BARBERA
The president of doctors in South Africa: “Unusual and mild symptoms”
On the new emergency and the fourth wave, the president of the South African Medical Association (Sama), Angelique Coetzee, explained that the research on the variant is still at an early stage: “People in South Africa who have contracted the Omicron strain of the coronavirus have manifested unusual but mild symptoms’. Patients, explains the president of the association which is equivalent to our Order of doctors, “complain mainly of a painful body and tiredness, extreme tiredness, and we see it in the younger generations, not in the elderly”. Coetzee stressed that only 24% of the country’s population is fully vaccinated. However, in comments to other media outlets, he expressed concern about the effects the variant could have on older people with heart disease or diabetes. The omicron variant – he confirms – manifested itself for the first time in South Africa at the beginning of November.
Switzerland increases the number of quarantine countries
Switzerland, which today faces a referendum on anti-Covid restrictions, has meanwhile decided to increase the countries of origin from which it is necessary to quarantine. In addition to Hong Kong, Israel and Belgium, the list now also includes Great Britain, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Egypt and Malawi, according to the Swiss Ministry of Health. Two days ago, Bern had already banned all direct flights from South Africa and imposed restrictions from other countries: only Swiss citizens or those with a residence permit in the Schengen area are entitled to arrive in the Confederation.
In France, isolation after a risky contact
In France, anyone in contact with another positive result for the new Omicron variant will need to be isolated even if vaccinated, the health ministry said. Currently, no confirmed cases of this variant have yet been announced here. According to health insurance, if a person is in contact with a coronavirus infected person, they should isolate themselves for seven days if they are not vaccinated, if their vaccination schedule is incomplete, or if they are immunocompromised. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that he intends to strengthen entry measures to slow the spread of the Omicron variant, of which two cases have already been detected in the UK: “We will ask anyone entering the UK to take a PCR test for two days. after the finish and to isolate himself until he has the result, ”Johnson said. In France, three million appointments have been made for vaccination against Covid after the announcement Thursday of the extension of the recall campaign to the entire adult population. In the country, the booster dose is open to all adults in the country.
Sileri: “Soon new restrictions decided with the EU. Double buffer hypothesis from other countries “
federico capurso
The (alarming) forecast in China
If China relaxes the anti-Covid measures, and in particular the travel restrictions, there is a risk that the daily infections will return to above 630 thousand: according to a Peking University report quoted by the Reuters. According to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, China cannot afford to lift travel restrictions and must focus on more efficient vaccinations and specific treatments. The study is the result of a comparison between the effects of the easing decided in recent months in other countries (USA, GB, Spain, France and Israel) and the possible consequences in China of similar measures. Meanwhile, yesterday China reported 23 new confirmed cases, two fewer than the day before, of which 22 asymptomatic, and no new deaths.
First cases also in Australia
Australia has announced that it has diagnosed two infections of the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus, always on passengers from South Africa.
Report Iss: rate of unvaccinated in intensive care is 12 times higher
The blacklist is growing in Japan
Japan adds three other African countries to the list of nations for which the quarantine obligation began on Saturday, after the discovery of the new variant of Covid-19. The countries are Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia, and are added to Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and Zimbabwe, as well as South Africa itself. “The government responds urgently to the risk of the virus spreading, and we will do everything in our power to better control the borders,” said Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Travelers from the nine countries will be subjected to a 10-day period of quarantine in facilities set up by the health authorities, during which three swabs will be performed: on the third and sixth day and at the end of isolation.
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