<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
</head>
<body text="#000000" bgcolor="#f9f9fa">
<p> </p>
<div id="toolbar" class="toolbar-container"> </div>
<div class="container" style="--line-height:1.6em;" dir="ltr">
<div class="header reader-header reader-show-element"> <a
class="domain reader-domain"
href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/cdc-israel-covid-risk-b1899691.html">independent.co.uk</a>
<h1 class="reader-title">CDC adds Israel to highest-risk
countries for catching Covid-19</h1>
<div class="meta-data">
<div class="reader-estimated-time" dir="ltr">4-5 minutes</div>
</div>
</div>
<hr>
<div class="content">
<div class="moz-reader-content reader-show-element">
<div id="readability-page-1" class="page">
<div id="main">
<p>The US Centers for Disease Control is advising <a
href="https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/americans">Americans</a>
to stop traveling to <a
href="https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/israel">Israel</a>
after giving the country its highest risk warning for <a
href="https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/covid-19">Covid-19</a>.</p>
<p>On Monday, the <a
href="https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/cdc">CDC</a>
raised Israel’s Covid-19 risk for travellers to level 4,
its highest risk level.</p>
<p>The <a rel="nofollow"
href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/covid-4/coronavirus-israel">CDC
recommends</a> that US travellers avoid visiting
Israel, and if they must go, to ensure they are fully
vaccinated before they leave the US.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Coronavirus cases have been steadily climbing in Israel
due to the Delta variant. </p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>“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.”</p>
<p><a rel="nofollow"
href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/covid-in-israel-serious-cases-climb-infection-rate-remains-stable-1.10100542"><em>Haaretz</em></a>
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. </p>
<p>The country also requires masking for any outdoor event
with more than 100 attendees. </p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>US visitors will have to adhere to the extended
isolation period. </p>
<p>The CDC also added warnings against Americans traveling
to France, Thailand, Iceland and several other countries
on Monday. </p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>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. </p>
<p>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. </p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div> </div>
</div>
</body>
</html>