With the coronavirus pandemic spreading, Israel has added Australia to the list of countries from which returning travelers will be required to enter quarantine:
“We are prepared to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Israel,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated during an emergency meeting at the Health Ministry in Tel Aviv Sunday in an effort to calm the country…
The Health Ministry added that as of Sunday anyone who has been in South Korea or Japan for the last 14 days must be in house isolation until 14 days have elapsed from the time of their departure from these countries.
Japan and South Korea were added to a growing list of countries that the ministry has labelled as contagious and is requiring travelers who return from them to enter quarantine. The other countries are China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and Thailand.
As of Sunday, the entry of non-residents or citizens of Israel who were in South Korea during the 14 days prior to their arrival in Israel was prevented. As of Monday, this directive will also apply for those arriving from Japan…
“Today, we added Australia and Italy to the list of countries from which returning travelers will be required to enter quarantine,” the prime minister said. “As necessary, we will add other countries to the list.
“I said that over-preparation is better than lack of preparation,” he continued. “To date, Israel has been more stringent than any other country, and we will continue to do what is necessary to prevent the spread of the virus in Israel.”
With the Morrison Government mulling lifting the Chinese travel for international students, Israel is right to be wary.
Unlike the Australian Government, the Israelis are putting public health above short-term financial interests.
