Israel’s coronavirus cabinet, which convened on Sunday evening, added nine new countries to the list of “green states” that Israelis can travel to and from without requiring quarantine upon their return home. The countries added to the list are Australia, Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and Uruguay. The list was approved hours before a US-Israeli delegation took off on its historic first-ever Israeli commercial flight from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi, sparing the Israeli members of the delegation from entering quarantine upon their return home to Israel. The nine countries join the 20 countries already on the list: Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Italy, United Kingdom, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Jordan, Latvia, Lithuania, New Zealand, Rwanda and Slovenia. The caveat is that due to Israel’s currently high infection rate and its designation as a red country, very few countries are allowing Israeli tourists to enter their territories. The Health Ministry also approved reopening Israel’s Taba border crossing with Egypt, which has been closed since April in the wake of the pandemic. However, Israelis who return from the Sinai will be required to quarantine for two weeks upon their return to Israel. Interior Minister Aryeh Deri is holding a meeting on the possible reopening on Monday. The Health Ministry stated that the list of green countries will be evaluated and updated every two weeks. Non-Israeli citizens continue to be banned from entering Israel until October 1. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

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