COVID-19: Israel issues ‘severe’ warning against travel to UAE

Jerusalem: In a bid to combat a fresh surge in COVID cases, Israel has issued a “severe” travel warning to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), adding the Gulf state to a list of countries which Israelis are advised not to visit.

Times of Israel reported that the Health Ministry on Wednesday issued a “severe” warning against travel to the UAE and added the Gulf state to a list of countries which Israelis are advised not to visit due to COVID-19 outbreak.

The country has removed Peru from the list, which now includes the UAE, Uganda, Uruguay, Seychelles, Ethiopia, Bolivia, Maldives, Namibia, Nepal, Paraguay, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica and Tunisia.

Citing the Ministry statement, TOI said that if there is not a “significant improvement” in morbidity figures in those countries, they could be added to another list of countries deemed “maximum risk” to which Israelis are barred from traveling.

That list includes Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, India, Mexico and Russia.

The ministry noted quarantine requirements for travelers coming from those nations — including those vaccinated or who recovered from coronavirus — are in force until June 27 “and will be extended in accordance with the need in light of the morbidity levels in the various countries.

According to the latest figures, 28 new COVID cases were confirmed Tuesday, with 0.1 per cent of the 28,056 tests performed coming back positive, after an outbreak in which 11 students were infected at a school in Modiin, according to TOI.