Tens of thousands of Israelis will seize the opportunity to avoid the new national lockdown, flying abroad to enjoy a more relaxed vacation period in another country, Israeli media reported.
Despite a reimposed lockdown – which began on Friday and is expected to last for at least three weeks – the government ruled earlier this week that all previously scheduled flights for the coming weeks would proceed as planned.
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According to Channel 12 News, some 15,000 people have flown in the past few days and 7,000 more are expected to travel during the Rosh Hashanah holiday between Friday and Sunday.
At the same time, another 40,000 people are expected to leave over the next two weeks, according to the report.
The choice of holidaymakers remains limited, however. Apart from the US, there are two countries where Israelis can currently travel without being forced into a mandatory quarantine upon arrival or return: Greece and Bulgaria.
In addition, anyone who takes a plane to those European countries could be asked to provide negative results after having been tested, in accordance with the requirements of their destination country.
Israel's Health Ministry reported on Saturday the toll of the coronavirus pandemic in the country, recording 5,299 new cases in 24 hours.
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This article was first published by i24NEWS.
