Israel/Palestinian Terr.: Authorities to toughen entry restrictions from November 8 /update 65

Event

Israeli authorities have announced that arrivals from Italy, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, and Serbia are to be required to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival effective from November 8, following an increase in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases. Meanwhile, Vietnam was added to the list of "green" countries, from which arrivals do not need to quarantine, with the change effective from Sunday, November 1. Further information regarding entry requirements can be found here. The move also affects entry into the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), with the OPT's and Israel's borders with Egypt and Jordan currently closed.

Following a second nationwide lockdown, Israeli authorities started easing restrictions on October 18. However, many businesses remain closed, as do places of worship, secondary schools, and restaurants, which are limited to take-away meals. Several areas deemed "red zones" with high numbers of cases face heightened restrictions, with schools and public spaces such as parks and beaches closed. Face masks are mandatory in public nationwide and people must follow social distancing measures.

As of Thursday, October 29, there have been 313,114 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Israel with 2508 associated fatalities. Further international spread of the virus is to be expected in the near term.

Context

The first case of COVID-19 was reported on December 31 and the source of the outbreak has been linked to a wet market in Wuhan (Hubei province, China). Since then, human-to-human transmission of the virus has been confirmed.

Cases of the virus have been confirmed in numerous countries and territories worldwide. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the global outbreak a pandemic. Virus-screening and quarantining measures are being implemented at airports worldwide, as well as extensive travel restrictions.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Some patients may experience other symptoms such as body pains, nasal congestion, headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell or a rash on skin or discoloration of fingers or toes. These symptoms (in most cases mild) appear gradually. Generally, most patients (around 80 percent) recover from the disease without being hospitalized

Advice

Measures adopted by local authorities evolve quickly and are usually effective immediately. Depending on the evolution of the outbreak in other countries, authorities are likely to modify, at very short notice, the list of countries whose travelers are subject to border control measures or entry restrictions upon their arrival to the territory in question. It is advised to postpone nonessential travel due to the risk that travelers may be refused entry or be subject to quarantine upon their arrival or during their stay.

To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, travelers are advised to abide by the following measures:

• Frequently clean hands by applying an alcohol-based hand rub or washing with soap and water.
• When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue; if used, throw the tissue away immediately and wash hands.
• If experiencing a fever, cough, difficulty breathing, or any other symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness, including pneumonia, call emergency services before going to the doctor or hospital to prevent the potential spread of the virus.