Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke at a meeting of the government commission on coronavirus and demanded to completely close the country’s sky for passenger flights due to the spread of the mutated infection. He is quoted by TASS .
“I convened a meeting of the coronavirus commission with one goal, and this is to completely close the sky. The viral mass entering Israel should be reduced as much as possible, even if in the UK they are still checking what kind of infection it is,” said the politician .
To protect the population, Netanyahu considered it important to repeat the measures taken during the first wave of coronavirus. So far, the Israeli authorities have banned entry from the UK to anyone except their own citizens.
Restrictions on entry from the United Kingdom were imposed by the authorities of most European countries: for example, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany and France. Portugal only allowed its citizens to enter the UK. Sweden plans to officially add to the list of countries that have banned entry from the UK on December 21. Spain plans to suspend flights if similar measures are not taken at the level of the whole European Union .
The mutated virus was also found in patients in the Netherlands, Denmark, Australia and Italy. According to experts, it is still impossible to talk about its greater danger and reduced susceptibility to vaccines.
On December 14, UK Health Minister Matthew Hancock reported that a a new strain of SARS-CoV-2 that spreads faster than the original form. The virus is more easily transmitted from person to person and therefore more contagious, he said.