Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Jun 02, 2025

Israel postpones the entry of tourists again as infections continue to increase

Israel postpones the entry of tourists again as infections continue to increase

The closure of tourists to Israel is a measure that the country has applied since the beginning of COVID-19 in March 2020.
Israel decided to postpone again and until an undefined date the entry of tourists to the country, scheduled for August 1, due to the progressive increase in infections within and abroad attributed to the delta variant.

"Unfortunately, the current situation does not allow us to authorize the access of tourists," declared the director general of the Ministry of Health, Nachman Ash, who confirmed that the borders will continue to be closed and asked Israelis not to travel abroad for prevention.

The closure of tourists is a measure that the country has applied since the beginning of COVID-19 in March 2020. Since then, it only generally allows the entry of foreigners with work visa or residence permit.

This spring, the Israeli authorities drew up a plan that provided for the entry of tourists - only those vaccinated - from July 1, but the application of this policy has already been postponed until the beginning of August due to the increase in morbidity.

Since then, infections have continued to rise, prompting the decision to further postpone access to tourists. The absence of outside visitors - many of them Christian pilgrims going to the holy sites of Jerusalem or the Palestinian city of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank - was a major blow to the region's tourism industry.

Israel carried out one of the fastest vaccination campaigns in the world, and more than 60% of its population of 9.3 million people are vaccinated with two doses of Pfizer's vaccine.

However, the emergence of the more contagious delta variant marked a new rise in cases. The country surpassed 1,000 infections a day this week, the highest number since March.

Even so, those hospitalized in critical condition are just over 60, a relatively low number in relation to the total number of active infected - around 6,600 currently.

So far, despite the upward trend, the Israeli government has avoided imposing drastic restrictions again, although it has again imposed small measures to limit the spread of contagion.

Among other measures, Prime Minister Naftali Benet announced today that those confirmed infected with coronavirus who violate quarantine would be prosecuted criminally.

In turn, he asked for legal details to implement electronic tools to control the isolated with a system to verify their location by mobile telephony, through SMS.

"Our goal is to establish sensible guidelines" and "effective enforcement" of the law against violators," Benet said.

In addition, as of Wednesday, access to weddings and indoor parties with more than 100 participants will be allowed only to people vaccinated, recovered or with a negative test for COVID-19.

Israel has also expanded the list of countries on the red list to which its nationals and residents are banned from traveling due to the extreme rate of infection. Among them is Spain, which will enter this category as of Friday, July 23.

All travelers returning from high-risk countries are required to undergo a seven-day quarantine, even if they are vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
×