The publication in the Israeli media of travellers evading a self-quarantine has set off a firestorm in Israel. The measure is compulsory for all passengers returning from a trip. The health authorities put pressure on the government to close down air transport for at least two weeks.
They were satisfied on Sunday. The Israeli government has announced the closure of Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion airport for at least a week.. It is currently the only airport platform to welcome international flights since the pandemic. The government has closed the country's other two international airports, in Eilat and Haifa, in 2020.
The decree came into effect at 0:00 on Monday 25 January.. It will remain valid until at least the end of the month. Only a parliamentary committee could actually vote to cancel it.
However, some exceptions are made for cargo flights and medical evacuations.. At the same time, passenger departures are strictly prohibited, except for emergencies such as funerals.
We're hermetically sealing the country
" No nation has done what we are about to do. We are hermetically sealing the country" Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. " We do this to prevent the virus mutating and to ensure that we make rapid progress with our vaccination campaign." .
Closing the airport could save time. More Israelis could be vaccinated against the new variants. This would help to relieve the strain on hospital capacity.
L'Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion airport welcomed nearly 25 million passengers. Some sixty airlines serve the hub, one of the largest in the Middle East. These include Air France, Brussels Airlines and Swiss.
