The Health Ministry is considering issuing permits for the first tourists to enter Israel in over a year, a senior health official said Friday.
The unnamed official told the Kan public broadcaster that the initial stage of the plan would probably allow organized tour groups, such as Birthright, to enter the country.
Health officials thought that it would be easier to monitor for any possible outbreaks if the travelers were in official, authorized groups, the report said.
Coronavirus czar Nachman Ash confirmed the report in broad terms, saying the reopening would need to be done carefully.
“Because there is different morbidity in the rest of the world and the fear of mutations, this step should be taken carefully and responsibly,” he told Kan. “If people are in groups, we can control where they go and how they are run. We will discuss this with the Tourism Ministry next week and determine when it will happen — I presume it will take a few weeks.”
Israel registered a drop of some 81 percent in tourism in 2020 compared to the previous year amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Tourism Ministry said in January.
The ministry said more than 5.3 million Israelis have gotten at least one vaccine shot and over 4.9 million have received both doses.
From an article in The Times of Israel Post Read the rest of the article here
Such good news! Waiting to tour Israel with you all very soon now!
