Quarantine for incoming Israelis from safe countries to be cut to five days, if and when skies open

Israelis returning home from the green list of Covid-19 safe countries will only need to spend five days in quarantine instead of 14, according to new guidelines that have been given the go-ahead by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and are being finalized by the National Security Council, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Transport.

The application of the guidelines is not imminent though, with Israelis currently unwelcome in many countries, including Cyprus and Greece, due to the recent dramatic rise in new coronavirus infections. In most European countries Israelis would need to go into quarantine immediately, while some are not interested in even permitting entry to Israeli passport holders.

As of now, Israelis returning to the country are required to go into quarantine for 14 days, regardless of the country from which they came. Plans that were in the process of being prepared to renew flights to Montenegro and other countries that are on the green list, have been canceled or postponed, as some of them, like Israel, have since moved to the red list. Israel is also still not allowing foreign citizens to enter the country, other than students and participants in the Birthright Israel, also known as Taglit, and Masa programs, which means there is no incoming tourism.