Quarantine Ordered for Arrivals from India, 6 Other Countries

Israeli health authorities have issued an entry order for all travelers from India and six other countries with high coronavirus rates to go into quarantine for 10-14 days.

Chezy Levy, the director-general of the Health Ministry, signed the order on Thursday, which pending Knesset approval, goes into effect on Monday, May 3.

The countries on the list are India, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico and Turkey. However, people who were in airports in those countries for less than 12 hours will not be asked to quarantine.

Earlier in the day, the ministry said disclosed that 41 cases of the Indian variant have been detected in Israel. It was reported that 24 of those case were identified among people who returned from abroad, while another 17 were infected in the country.

Five children were among those infected with the variant, from schools in Maalei Adumim, Ashdod and Holon.

The Health Ministry’s head of Public Services Sharon Alroy-Preis urged rapid testing in the schools to stem further spread of infection, but said that she encountered resistance from the Education Ministry.

“It was decided that when a sick person is diagnosed it must be handled quickly and extensively,” Alroy-Preis wrote in a letter to Levy. “This approach is essential to preventing widespread infection among children who are not yet vaccinated, and their communities.”