Source: Baltimore Jewish Life via Chaimvchessed
As Chaim V’Chessed has reported extensively, rules regarding entry from different countries continue to be issued, on a nearly daily basis. The latest update, released just yesterday, will go into effect on August 16 and seemingly complicated matters more than ever. Chaim V’Chessed attempts to clarify the newest rules, below.
All Countries Color Coded
Israel has now divided all the countries of the world into 3 colors: Yellow (Lowest risk), Orange (High Risk) and Red (Highest Risk)
Yellow: Travelers from Yellow countries must quarantine. However, they may earn quarantine exemptions if they are registered as vaccinated or recovered with the Israeli Ministry of Health. Alternatively, they may perform serological tests upon arrival in Israel, and exit quarantine if they are shown to have antibodies.
Orange: Travelers from Orange countries must quarantine, regardless of recovery, vaccination or serological tests.
Red: Travelers from Red countries must quarantine, regardless of recovery, vaccination or serological tests.
Additionally, Israeli citizens are barred from traveling to Highest Risk (Red) countries and must obtain special permission if they must travel for humanitarian reasons. See here to apply. Foreigners from Highest Risk countries are mostly barred from entering Israel. Visa holders may apply for a special permit to enter, see here to apply. (Additionally, many of the few foreigners allowed to enter Israel from Red countries are required to quarantine in government hotels).
As detailed by Chaim V’Chessed, quarantine is 14 days, but may be reduced to 7 days based on PCR tests performed on day 1 and day 7.
Countries Changing Colors
All countries have already been assigned to this color scheme and now various countries will be changing colors. It was announced earlier that the United States and several other countries would join the Orange List on August 11. Now, the Ministry of Health has announced that many more countries will turn Orange on Monday, August 16. Clarification: The US and other countries will already be added to the Orange list on August 11.
As of Monday, August 16, the Yellow list will include only 10 countries: Austria, Australia, Hong Kong, Hungary, Taiwan, Moldova, New Zealand, China, Singapore and the Czech Republic.
Also on Monday, August 16, the Red list will include only 6 countries: Bulgaria, Brazil, Georgia, Mexico, Spain and Turkey. This means that England, South Africa, Russia and several other countries will be moved off of the Red list and will become Orange.
All other countries besides the few on the Red and Yellow lists will become Orange.
It is important to note that while countries such as England, South Africa and Russia will be moving from the Red to the Orange list on August 16, as of now, this relates only to quarantine rules and permission for Israeli citizens to be allowed to travel to those countries. It is still unclear if, after August 16, permit or visa holders from these countries will be allowed to travel by presenting their visas.
