Britain, Three Other Countries Added to Israeli Travel Ban List

Britain, Turkey, Georgia and Cyprus were added to Israel’s list of countries barred to Israelis due to their high rate coronavirus infection.

The decision, approved on Thursday evening by the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, is set to take effect as of midnight Thursday. Exceptional cases will be ruled on by a special committee.

Reportedly, anyone with a permit for a flight Friday or beyond, will not be permitted to board a flight to Israel from tonight at 12am until August 9th at the earliest using those approvals.

Israelis who were already in the UK before the new ban will be allowed to return to Israel but will be required to isolate even if they are recovered or vaccinated. That isolation is officially for 14 days, though it can be shortened by receiving negative results for PCR tests in Israel, one upon entering isolation (at airport in this case) and the second on the 7th day.

The Knesset committee also shortened the expiration date of the current “Green Pass” regulations, which restrict access to many public places only to people who are vaccinated, recovered from COVID-19 or present a recent negative test result.

The protocol will end on August 7, instead of the previously announced date of August 7. The reason for the change is that the government plans to revise the current rules to enable rapid PCR tests.