December 30, 2020 1:32 PM EST See Update to this story here
Quarantine Hotels Abolished
As Chaim V’Chessed reported extensively last week, all passengers entering Israel since last Wednesday have been required to quarantine in government-run hotels. This afternoon, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein announced that the hotel requirement will be cancelled. Instead, all passengers will be required to take a Covid test upon landing, and will be permitted to quarantine in their homes.
Inbound passengers to Israel are now left to wonder when this will occur. Chaim V’Chessed representatives spoke directly to Health Ministry officials, who were at a loss to explain when the new rules will take effect. It is also unclear if, and when, those currently housed in quarantine hotels will be permitted to leave. We will continue to research this subject , and will issue updates when further information is available.
Foreigner Ban Extended into Next Year
As was expected, Ben Gurion Airport airport officials notified Chaim V’Chessed earlier this week that the ban on foreigners entering Israel will be extended. The prohibition on foreigners entering Israel will now remain in place until, at least, February 1, 2021.
Lockdown Goes On
Since Sunday, December 27, Israel has been under lockdown. For detailed information about lockdown rules, see here. During the lockdown, rules for entry to Israel have been considerably tightened. Chaim V’Chessed has received untold number of inquiries as to when these stringencies will end. Unfortunately, there is no way for us to answer these questions. The lockdown is due to remain in place until the daily number of new Covid cases is below 1000. Unfortunately, yesterday, December 28, saw over 5,000 new cases.