Israel bans travel to the United States and Canada amid omicron fears

“Given the very infectious nature of this variant, the collective, national protection provided by the state isn’t enough. The fifth wave is arriving [and] every family needs to prepare,” Bennett said.

December 20, 2021

Israel on Monday barred travel to 10 new countries, including the United States, Canada and Germany, as its total number of omicron cases reached 175 and the prime minister warned that the fifth wave of the coronavirus had already arrived, the Washington Post reports.

Israel’s updated “red list” now also includes Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Switzerland and Turkey. The list includes most of Africa as well. The ban against the added countries will come into effect Tuesday at midnight.

Travel from Israel to red countries is forbidden, unless travelers receive permission from a special committee. Israeli citizens flying from a red country must enter a seven-day quarantine even if they are fully vaccinated — entry of noncitizens was banned last month.

“Given the very infectious nature of this variant, the collective, national protection provided by the state isn’t enough. The fifth wave is arriving [and] every family needs to prepare,” Bennett said.