[D66] [JD: 171] CDC adds Israel to highest-risk countries for catching Covid-19

[R.O.]

independent.co.uk
<https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/cdc-israel-covid-risk-b1899691.html>



  CDC adds Israel to highest-risk countries for catching Covid-19

4-5 minutes
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The US Centers for Disease Control is advising Americans
<https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/americans> to stop traveling to
Israel <https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/israel> after giving the
country its highest risk warning for Covid-19
<https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/covid-19>.

On Monday, the CDC <https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/cdc> raised
Israel’s Covid-19 risk for travellers to level 4, its highest risk level.

The CDC recommends
<https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/covid-4/coronavirus-israel> that
US travellers avoid visiting Israel, and if they must go, to ensure they
are fully vaccinated before they leave the US.

However, the agency noted that due to the high concentration of cases in
Israel that even fully vaccinated individuals may be at risk of
contracting and spreading Covid-19 variants.

The recommendation extends for all of Israel as well as the West Bank
and Gaza. The agency recommends masking and social distancing for anyone
who must visit the country.

Coronavirus cases have been steadily climbing in Israel due to the Delta
variant.

Israel's Health Ministry released data on Monday revealing that the
number of seriously-ill patients in the country rose to 360, with
overall cases growing by 3,372. The rate of positive cases in the
country is still significantly lower than it was during the last major
wave of cases. Currently, the positive test rate is only 3.87 per cent.
That rate was 9 per cent during the last major surge of the virus.

The country's Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said on Monday that the
country would only consider a lock down as a “last resort” and that the
government was doing all it could to prevent another quarantine.

“The coronavirus isn't going to disappear any time soon,” Mr Horowitz
said. “We are laying down the infrastructure that will enable us to live
with the coronavirus in the long term.”

/Haaretz/
<https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/covid-in-israel-serious-cases-climb-infection-rate-remains-stable-1.10100542>
reported that Israel was reinstating some restrictions to help stop the
virus' spread. Unlike the US, Israel requires a vaccine passport –
called The Green Pass – for anyone who wants to attend cultural and
sporting events, to stay at hotels, or to visit gyms, restaurants, movie
theatres, cafes or convention centres. The only exception is for those
visiting houses of worship.

The country also requires masking for any outdoor event with more than
100 attendees.

Israel is also cracking down on foreign visitors arriving in the
country, requiring mandatory isolation periods for travellers from all
but 10 countries, even if they are vaccinated.

US visitors will have to adhere to the extended isolation period.

The CDC also added warnings against Americans traveling to France,
Thailand, Iceland and several other countries on Monday.

The US State Department, which maintains its own list of travel
advisories, added France and Iceland to its list of Level 4 – Very High
risk list of countries.

France's government recently extended requirements that citizens provide
proof of vaccination when visiting cafes, restaurants and for inter-city
travel on Monday, though the decision was protested by many over the
weekend.

The health passport is intended to curb the coronavirus' spread
throughout the country. Though hospitalisations are low when compared to
other times during the pandemic, the country's government is concerned
that the Delta variant may cause a surge in illnesses similar to what is
happening in the US.

Iceland has similarly seen the spread of the Delta variant, though that
country's vaccination rate is much higher than many other countries,
with almost 90 per cent of the Icelandic population having taken the
shot. The country has enacted its own domestic and border restrictions
to prevent further spread throughout its borders.

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