Israel in fifth Covid-19 wave, mulls adding US to Omicron 'red' list

JERUSALEM (REUTERS, AFP) - Israel is in the midst of a fifth Covid-19 wave due to the Omicron variant, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Sunday (Dec 19), urging citizens to step up vaccination and to take precautions such as working from home.

In a televised address, Mr Bennett said Israel had bought some time by moving fast to limit travel when Omicron was first detected last month, but that this was now waning. He predicted a surge of illnesses within a few weeks.

Earlier on Sunday, a Health Ministry advisory committee recommended that Israel add the United States to the list of "red" countries to which its citizens cannot fly without special permission. Mr Bennett did not mention this measure in his speech.

Barring US travel for Israeli citizens and residents would mark a significant step for Mr Bennett's government, given the hundreds of thousands of dual nationals and close ties between the countries.

Speaking earlier, Mr Bennett reiterated that he would continue to restrict travel in order to avoid further lockdowns.

He said Israel had gained precious time by curbing travel immediately after the Omicron variant was detected in South Africa last month.

Lawmakers on Sunday approved an earlier health ministry recommendation to bar Israeli citizens and residents from travelling to France, Ireland, Norway, Spain, Finland, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates.

Britain and Denmark were already on the red list, as was most of Africa.

In addition to the US, the Health Ministry recommended that Canada, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Morocco, Portugal, Switzerland and Turkey be red-listed, guidance that is awaiting approval from the government and lawmakers.

Israeli citizens and residents who are already abroad when a country is declared red must quarantine for a week after returning home.

Non-resident foreigners from all countries are barred from entry unless they have special permission.

Mr Bennett also called on Israelis to work from home and encouraged parents to vaccinate their children.

"Our goal is to brave this wave without it affecting the economy and education as much as possible," he said.

"The way to achieve that is by slowing down the infection rate, and vaccinating Israeli children in the meantime as quickly as possible."

Dr Ran Balicer, chairman of Israel's national expert panel on Covid-19, told AFP the travel rules were allowing for most life to continue as usual inside Israel.

"The more strict you are in preventing importation and delaying local transmission, the more lax you can be in disturbing the economy and everyday life," he said.

Dr Balicer estimated that Israel would ease its restrictions once local transmission of Omicron began to rise, reducing the relative proportion of cases coming in from overseas.

He said it was not yet clear if the strain posed a risk of severe illness and death.

More than 4.1 million of Israel's estimated 9.3 million people have received three shots of a coronavirus vaccine, with the country currently giving jabs to children aged five to 11 years.

Israel has logged 134 confirmed Omicron cases and another 307 suspected cases, the Health Ministry said. Of these, 167 were symptomatic, it said.

"The time we bought is running out," Mr Bennett said. "The numbers are still not high but it's a very contagious variant, doubling itself every two-three days, as we see around the world. It's possible to say that the fifth wave has begun."

In a rapid first response to Omicron, which was first detected in southern Africa, Israel banned the entry of foreigners on Nov 25 and has imposed three- to 14-day quarantine orders for Israelis returning from abroad.

But Mr Bennett has also come under domestic criticism for a foreign vacation his wife and children took after he urged Israelis to avoid such travel.