In the shadow of global concern about the Omicron variant, we also discussed today (Sunday) at a cabinet meeting possible restrictions to prevent an increase in morbidity. According to the publication in News 12, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that “if we do not take immediate and difficult steps now – we will reach a closure.”
Bennett was quoted as saying that “complexity is that everything is good and looks fine, so we do not understand why all this drama. However, there is a big gap between the good feeling and there is a paradox. “It is no longer relevant. The most critical thing is to keep the borders.”
Bennett later teased the education minister, saying that “if we were in 70% of vaccinated students we would be somewhere else. If the Ministry of Education had attacked it we would be somewhere else. We need results.”
Regarding addressing the tourism problem, Bennett said that “the dilemma is between terrible steps now. There is severe damage to tourism that needs to be addressed economically, but closure is an injury to the whole economy. A decisive action now with some economic harm is better than another hundred times bigger.” .
Minister Merav Michaeli replied to Bennett And said that “it is legitimate to sacrifice the tourism industry, but needs compensation.”
Compared to Michaeli, Minister Lieberman He was less enthusiastic about the possibility of compensating the tourism industry and said he “does not want to be like the previous government, which is scattering money to everyone who raises their hand. Even the most optimistic forecasts in 2025 do not see even a million tourists.”
This is after he said at the cabinet meeting, regarding travel agents and guides, that “it should be said: start changing professions. From four and a half million tourists we went down to 200,000, and that is also when you look at the forecasts. A significant number of guides have already changed field.”
Guides responded to Lieberman, saying that “the mask was removed from the face of the government: it is a detached and opaque government, which does not see tens of thousands of citizens without any income. A government that does not understand that it is the one that caused it. “A citizen feels in traffic jams every day, and the finance minister throws Israelis to their bitter fate. We are law-abiding citizens who love the country and serve as its propaganda ambassadors – while the whole economy opened we were left behind.”
The government later approved the extension of restrictions on those entering Israel and the outline of the green class.
As part of the ‘green class’ it was decided:
• The model will not apply to a class where two students have been validated, this scenario constitutes about 5% of the reported cases.
• If one student has been verified, the students will perform a PCR test on the third day as well.
• The model will not apply in a case where a student has been verified in class with a suspicion of infection with the omicron strain.
In situations where the green classroom model is not activated, vaccinated students will be able to learn frontally, and non-vaccinated students will learn by distance learning.
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The government also approved the extension of the current restrictions at Ben Gurion Airport, for an additional 10 days.
Regarding the layout of entry and exit from the country:
• Foreigners from all countries will be barred from entering Israel, except in cases approved by the Exceptions Committee.
• Israelis who are defined as vaccinated or recovering according to the procedures of the Ministry of Health will perform a PCR test upon landing in Israel, after which they will enter home isolation. Subject to a second PCR test on the third day with a negative result, they will be able to be released from isolation. Those who do not perform the additional test on the third day will be required to complete full isolation.
• Unvaccinated Israelis will perform a PCR test upon landing in Israel, after which they will enter home isolation. Subject to a second PCR test on the seventh day with a negative result, they will be able to be released from isolation. Those who do not perform the additional test on the seventh day will be required to complete full isolation.
• Israelis who have returned from countries defined as red will perform a PCR test upon landing in Israel, after which they will be transferred to solitary confinement at the Corona Hotel until their and all the passengers who were on the flight receive a negative answer. After receiving a negative answer, they will be transferred for further home isolation and on the seventh day they will perform another PCR test. Subject to a negative answer on the second test, they will be released from solitary confinement.