Jubilee Post News & Views
# Japan too followed Israel and bans foreigners’ entry
# Japan and Israel have strictest border controls now
Special Desk
Israel became first country to close its borders to non-citizens and Japan followed it soon.
New rules came in to effect Monday in an effort to block the Omicron coronavirus variant from spreading in the country. The ban shall remain for 14-days.
Israel Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said the ban would last 14 days. Officials hope within that period there will be more information on how effective COVID-19 vaccines are against Omicron, which was first detected in South Africa and has been dubbed a variant of concern by the World Health Organization.
“Our working hypotheses are that the variant is already in nearly every country,” interior minister Ayelet Shaked told media. The ban were officially announced at midnight on Sunday. A travel ban on foreigners coming from most African states was already imposed on Friday.
Japan said on Monday it would shut its borders to foreigners to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant. Both Japan and Israel have now imposed some of the strictest border controls since the variant’s discovery in South Africa.
Israel has so far confirmed one case of the potentially more infectious Omicron strain first detected in South Africa. South Africa has complained that it is being punished – instead of applauded – for discovering Omicron earlier this month.
The WHO has warned the new variant is of concern, with early evidence suggesting a higher re-infection risk. However, the WHO has warned against countries hastily imposing travel restrictions, saying they should look to a risk-based and scientific approach.
The Israeli coronavirus cabinet agreed a series of new restrictions at a crisis meeting. In addition to the entry ban for non-Israelis, a three-day mandatory quarantine would be required for all vaccinated Israeli nationals, and a seven-day quarantine for those who have not been vaccinated.
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The cabinet also authorised surveillance of confirmed coronavirus patients by the Israel’s Shin Bet security agency.
In a statement, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said phone-tracking technology would be used. All Israeli nationals returning from those countries must quarantine in the government-approved hotels and undergo Covid tests. Israel has confirmed more than 1.3 million Covid infections since the start of the pandemic, with over 8,100 deaths.
