Israel partially reopens Ben Gurion for up to 2,000 travelers a day

After Israel’s gateways were closed from Jan 25, the coronavirus cabinet Sunday decided to reopen the international airport for up to 2,000 arrivals per day. Also approved was permission for American airlines to fly stranded Israeli passengers home, in addition to the national carriers. The US had threatened to retaliate in kind if this route was restricted to Israeli carriers.  Yet to be decided is the form of quarantine restrictions to be imposed on those arrivals in the ongoing effort to fend off the incursion of any more foreign virus variants.

The cabinet session was interrupted when PM Binyamin Netanyahu left for a meeting with the visiting president of Cyprus, and is due to resume on Monday.