Israel imposed new bans on Monday, restricting travel to the US, Italy, Belgium, Hungary, Morocco, Portugal, Canada, Switzerland, and Turkey.
The measure is supposed to come into effect at midnight between Tuesday and Wednesday.
Israeli citizens are not allowed to travel to red-listed countries without special permission from a so-called "Exception Committee". They will also be mandated to undergo a 7-day quarantine after they return, even if they are fully vaccinated.
A man is tested for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a mobile COVID-19 testing unit, as pedestrians make their way in the sidewalk during the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant in Manhattan, New York, U.S., December 8, 2021.
© REUTERS / EDUARDO MUNOZ
The new restrictions come after Israel closed its borders to foreigners last month and ceased travel to African countries in a bid to prevent the spread of the Omicron strain, which originated in South Africa. The new variant raised major concerns across the globe due to its high transmissibility rate because it has a high number of mutations (32).