Israel:Lockdown announced as a result of spike in COVID-19 infections

The Israeli government has announced a three-week nationwide lockdown because of an increase in the COVID-19 infection rate. The quarantine could be extended after Oct. 9 if infections do not fall.

Key Points:

• The lockdown begins Sept. 18 and will last for three weeks.
• Ben Gurion International Airport will remain open but only for pre-scheduled flights. All travelers must arrive with valid tickets four hours prior to their departure.
• All travelers must have negative COVID-19 results from a test performed within 72 hours of their flight.
• Travelers from “green location” countries will not need to self-isolate under entry rules, but will be subject to the three-week lockdown.
• Travelers from “red location” countries are still required to self-isolate for 14 days. Afterwards, they will also be subject to the three-week lockdown.
• During the lockdown, private work places are limited at 50% capacity, public sector services will be limited, people must stay within 500 meters of their home and schools will be closed.
• New immigrants who were scheduled to arrive to Israel on or after Sept. 18 will be allowed entry.

This is Israel’s second quarantine. The first one started in March and was lifted in early May.

During the lockdown, the Ministry of Interior says all visa applications will either be on hold or slowly processed. Closures for the upcoming holidays of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot could also cause delays. The response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues to develop, and VISA LOUNGE Global Immigration will provide additional updates as information becomes available.

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