New Covid strain: Israel temporarily bans all international flights

Jerusalem - The ban on flights will come into force from Monday

The Israeli cabinet has approved a ban on incoming and outgoing passenger flights to prevent the spread of new coronavirus variants.

The ban on flights will come into force from Monday at 2200 GMT (2am UAE time) and last until the end of January, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.

Arrivals will be banned and landings will be permitted only in a few exceptions including cargo flights, medical emergencies, and fire service flights, reports Xinhua news agency.

Departures will also be banned except for medical emergencies, legal procedures and attending a funeral of a relative.

“Other than rare exceptions, we are closing the sky hermetically to prevent the entry of the virus variants and also to ensure that we progress quickly with our vaccination campaign,” Netanyahu said in public remarks at the start of a cabinet meeting.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said that his Ministry "worries" about the arrival of new variants.

"One of the new variants is already in Israel and is clearly partly responsible for the high infection numbers."

Israel has been under a third nationwide lockdown since December 19, 2020, which is expected to be lifted on January 31. The country’s borders have largely been closed to foreigners during the pandemic, with only Israeli passport holders allowed entry.