Israel is among the world's nations with the most effective responses to the coronavirus pandemic, and is therefore expected to join a small group of seven countries that will admit each other's citizens, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Tourists from the select group of countries, all nations that have thus far managed to beat back the virus, will still be expected to undergo health checks at the borders and wear masks.
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The main airport in Vienna, Austria, one of the countries partnering in the tourism program, plans to carry out coronavirus testing on site using a quick method that provides results in three hours. Israel might also obtain the rapid testing kits, which would allow airlines to ensure that no corona-positive passengers arrive.
The agreement calls on partner nations to exchange information about how they are handling the coronavirus pandemic, as well as information about economic steps and other actions needed to bring their economies out of crisis mode.
In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is spearheading the program and has already spoken to Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. Greece, New Zealand, the Czech Republic, Denmark, and Australia are also expected to become part of the scheme. If the program is implemented, all travelers between these countries will not only have to wear masks, but also provide proof of a clean bill of health and maintain social distancing guidelines.
According to the WSJ, the program might launch within a few weeks.
In a related development, Israel has decided to cancel its policy of mandatory quarantine for anyone arriving from abroad. In a discussion at the National Security Council headquarters, the Defense Ministry and other key government bodies decided that the rule, put in place to stop the spread of coronavirus, would be revoked within five days.
Other measures are under consideration, such as arrivals from abroad signing affidavits that they will remain in quarantine in their own homes.
One of the reasons for the reversal of the policy is the high cost associated with keeping new immigrant families in quarantine at hotels. On Tuesday evening, a Nefesh B'Nefesh flight is scheduled to land from New York, bringing 17 families to Israel.
