Health officials slam High Court order to end airport restrictions

Coronavirus Director Prof. Nahman Ash responded furiously to the High Court ruling of Wednesday that prohibited the state from banning or reducing to 3,000 the number of returning Israelis entering through Ben Gurion airport. The High Court, he said, was making itself responsible for the danger of a fresh surge of virus infection. He was echoed by Deputy Health Minister Yoav Kish, who added that the judges would be responsible if new covid-19 virus variants from abroad caused widespread infection at a time that the pandemic was coming under control. He emphasized that although the vaccines were 99pc successful, one third of the population, children under 16. were still not inoculated and therefore vulnerable.