The airport will have to adhere to the purple-tag restrictions.
By HANNAH BROWNAN EMPTY departure hall of Ben-Gurion Airport this week – Israel’s policies to contain the spread of coronavirus were clearly prescient.(photo credit: FLASH90)
Health Minister Yuli Edelstein and Transportation Minister Miri Regev agreed Wednesday to allow Ben-Gurion Airport to reopen Thursday at midnight, on the night between Thursday and Friday.Later Wednesday, a meeting of Transportation Ministry officials with the attorney-general has confirmed the reopening.In a video on Facebook, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the opening of Israel's skies to air traffic, saying "I will open the skies and support the opening of the airport according to what the experts told me, that there isn't a health risk for people that travel straight to the airport and leave it upon return to Israel."From the beginning of the closure, only passengers who purchased a ticket before the closure took effect were allowed to fly.The attorney-general said that the continued closure of the airport was problematic because the airlines were threatening lawsuits due to damages the closure has caused them. The decision to open the airport came after criticism from airport industry officials about the decision not to allow people to purchase flight tickets.Many details were still being worked out on Wednesday afternoon. During a discussion on airport and travel restrictions, the chairman of the Finance Committee, MK Ya'acov Margi, asked for answers regarding the coronavirus committee's demand regarding the opening of food complexes at Ben-Gurion Airport.On Tuesday, Regev called on ministers to open Ben-Gurion Airport on Thursday, even if the food court would only open on Sunday.The airport will have to adhere to the purple-tag restrictions of the Health Ministry and travelers and airport personnel will need to wear masks and observe social distancing.According to the guidelines of the Health Ministry, there are now 31 countries that are defined as green and passengers are not required to be in 14 days of quarantine upon their return to Israel.Not all countries, even those defined in Israel as green, allow Israelis to enter them, and travelers need to check the guidelines before they leave. In addition, there are countries where Israelis will face isolation on both ends of the journey and a handful of destinations where Israelis will not have to isolate when coming or going.The full, updated list is available on the Health Ministry’s website.
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