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.<\/p>\n
They were satisfied on Sunday. The Israeli government has announced the closure of Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion airport for at least a week.<\/strong>. It is currently the only airport platform to welcome international flights since the pandemic<\/strong>. The government has closed the country's other two international airports, in Eilat and Haifa, in 2020.<\/p>\n The decree came into effect at 0:00 on Monday 25 January.<\/strong>. It will remain valid until at least the end of the month. Only a parliamentary committee could actually vote to cancel it.<\/p>\n However, some exceptions are made for cargo flights and medical evacuations.<\/strong>. At the same time, passenger departures are strictly prohibited, except for emergencies such as funerals.<\/p>\n We're hermetically sealing the country<\/p><\/blockquote>\n \"\u00a0No nation has done what we are about to do. We are hermetically sealing the country<\/em>\" Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. \"\u00a0We do this to prevent the virus mutating and to ensure that we make rapid progress with our vaccination campaign.<\/em>\" .<\/p>\n