Israel is testing international guests traveling in groups

 Israel is testing international guests traveling in groups

From September 19, Israel will welcome international visitors in groups of 5 to 30 people to test restart tourism, after closing because of the Delta variant in August.

The Israeli Ministry of Tourism said that from September 19, groups of 5 to 30 tourists from countries on Israel's green, yellow and orange list will be allowed to enter, provided that all group members fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Groups of visitors from countries on Israel's red list - which currently includes Bulgaria, Brazil, Mexico and Turkey - will not be eligible. Single tourists have not been able to visit Israel since March 2020, except for the purpose of visiting relatives.

Foreign tourists to Israel in May 2021

Foreign travelers must have proof of 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccine within six months, or have had a booster shot to be eligible for entry. They must also present a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival, and a serological test upon arrival at the airport in Tel Aviv.

In May, Israel experimented with welcoming small tour groups, with more than 2,000 visitors, mainly from Europe and the United States. The Israeli Ministry of Tourism said that there were no cases of COVID-19 among these tourists. However, the initiative was halted in August when the Delta variant increased the number of COVID-19 cases in Israel, despite the country's top vaccination rates.

Currently, out of 9.3 million Israelis, 5.5 million have received a second dose of Pfizer and another 2.5 million have received a third dose of Pfizer.

(The