As the 2nd Omicron case revealed, Israel bans airport arrivals from taking buses and trains

The transport ministry announced on Sunday evening that travelers arriving from abroad would not be allowed to use public transport serving the airport, as a second case of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus has been detected in Israel.

The new transport rules will apply from midnight Sunday, when all those arriving from abroad must be quarantined for at least three days.

Starting at 6 p.m. Sunday, those arriving from “red” countries with high infection rates are to quarantine themselves in state-run hotels, while others are allowed to return home for s. ‘isolate.

Exiting the airport will only be possible by a private vehicle, being picked up by relatives, or by a taxi, the ministry said.

“The idea is that people in quarantine will not be able to take public transport from the airport,” the director general of the Ministry of Health, Nachman Ash, told military radio. “Everyone will have to take a car or a taxi alone or with the family. “

Those going to the airport for an departing flight can still do so by bus, train or shared taxi.

The ministry said that in order to encourage Israelis traveling abroad to arrive at the airport in a private vehicle, long-term parking tickets must be reduced by 50%.

Those traveling within the country, from Eilat to Ben-Gurion Airport, will be taken in a shuttle bus to Tel Aviv’s Savidor station, the transport ministry said.

Meanwhile, a second person in Israel has been confirmed to be a carrier of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the health ministry said.

The woman recently entered Israel from South Africa, the ministry said.

A 32-year-old Israeli citizen, she had been vaccinated three times, Channel 13 reported. She was on vacation with her husband and child, who both tested negative for COVID, according to the TV report.

Several other people suspected of carrying the mutated strain are still awaiting final confirmation.

Travelers arrive at Ben Gurion Airport on November 28, 2021 (Avshalom Sassoni / Flash90)

Scientists in South Africa revealed on Thursday that they had detected the new variant of COVID-19 with “a very high number of mutations,” blamed for an “exponential” increase in infections there.

The number of daily infections in the most affected country in Africa has increased tenfold since the beginning of the month.

In Israel, the health ministry said on Sunday that the core reproduction number of the coronavirus in Israel had declined slightly to 1.05. Also known as the “R number,” the number represents the number of people infected on average by each confirmed patient. Any number greater than 1 means the infection is spreading.

Data released Sunday night showed 170 people had been diagnosed as of Saturday, the number representing 0.51% of the more than 35,000 tests performed. There were 11 people hospitalized, 125 of whom were in serious condition.

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