Corona relief: Vaccinated or recovering patients exposed to Corona patients can board flights

Corona morbidity is declining - and more relief is underway: The government approved tonight (Friday), shortly before Shabbat, new aviation regulations that will allow vaccinated or recovering patients exposed to Corona patients to board flights, and the obligation to measure temperature at terminal entry and boarding will be abolished. Ministers have confirmed that the new regulations will be in force until April 8.
In light of the approval to bring only 3,000 Israelis into Israel daily, in an approved outline it was decided to impose on the Director General of the Ministry of Transportation to coordinate staff work that would include his office and the Ministries of Finance, Defense, Homeland Security, Tourism, Home Affairs, Health and National Security. The goal: to examine the methods for increasing the transit capacity of passengers entering and leaving it - and to formulate a recommendation for a concrete solution by next Monday.
Regarding the South African variant, the ministry reported that there are more than 540 cases of the mutation in Israel. "The vast majority with a history of traveling abroad or their contacts," the ministry notes. Although according to a random sample conducted for the last verified, about 1% carry the mutation, according to estimates Pfizer's vaccine is only 60% effective against it, compared to 95% compared to the British variety, it is also written that there are other variants whose clinical significance is still being tested, including the variant from Brazil, New York, Uganda and the "global variety".
Earlier tonight, the opening of the border crossing to the Sinai Peninsula was approved starting Tuesday. Following criticism of the Ministry of Health, which was delayed in formulating the outline for opening the border, ministry officials published the proposed regulations with the compromise reached: 300 Israelis who could leave daily, and 300 Israelis who could enter. Due to wasting time working on the outline, which was scheduled for Monday, blue and white ministers threatened not to support any regulation that would come up - and the Ministry of Health immediately submitted their recommendations.
Professionals at the Ministry of Health are convinced that there is a high probability of introducing vaccine-resistant variants through terrestrial crossings, and warned that within the limits of existing information, the entry of a variant could jeopardize the entire national vaccination campaign. "Corona testing cannot be effectively monitored in another country, as there is no supervisory body or obligation to prevent a patient from moving to Israel," Health Ministry officials wrote to the ministers. While the probability of detecting a verified patient at Ben Gurion Airport is currently less than 1% according to the data of the entire airport, the chances increase significantly at land crossings. Due to the border closure, there is no information on the proportion of patients returning from Egypt. %.
The regulation at the border will be carried out through a limited sale of the transit fees, and at the time of departure it is required to present the payment confirmation for the requested day. Now, subject to a corona check on departure and return to Israel, vaccinated, recovering, foreign representatives and Israeli emissaries will be able to cross the border into Egypt, as well as those who have left for permanent residence and presented the reference to the Exceptions Committee. Even those who are not citizens or permanent residents will be able to reserve a place at the border.