Passengers are seen at the departure hall of Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, on Nov. 28, 2021. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua)
JERUSALEM, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Israel will lift the travel ban to 55 countries, the Ministry of Health said in a statement on Tuesday.
The move, subject to the approval of the cabinet and a parliamentary committee, will take effect on Thursday, the ministry noted.
Most African countries will be released from the ban list, as well as some European countries, including Germany, Denmark, Italy, Sweden, Ireland, Belgium, Finland and Norway, it added.
A medical worker tests samples to detect the new COVID-19 variant Omicron in a lab at the Shamir Medical Center near Tel Aviv, Israel, on Dec. 1, 2021. (Gideon Markowicz/JINI via Xinhua)
However, Mexico will be added to the list and labeled "red," joining the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Ethiopia, Britain, South Africa, Hungary, Tanzania, Nigeria, Spain, Portugal, France, Canada, Switzerland and Turkey.
Israelis returning from the banned countries, including the vaccinated and recovered ones, must enter quarantine for at least seven days. ■
