First country closes borders to foreigners due to omicron strain

Israel will close entry for foreigners for two weeks. Citizens of the country returning to their homeland will tighten the rules for testing and self-isolation

From Sunday evening, November 28, the Israeli authorities will ban the entry of foreigners for two weeks due to the spread of a new strain of coronavirus B.1.1.529, which is called "omicron". It is reported by the Times of Israel. The measure will not affect those who receive special permission from the government commission.

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Israel has become the first country to close its borders to foreigners due to a new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, Reuters notes.

In addition, the authorities have introduced stricter testing and self-isolation rules for Israelis arriving in the country from abroad. The movement of citizens infected with the new variant of the virus will be monitored using phone tracking technology to limit the spread of the omicron strain, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said.

Johnson announced the ability of the omicron strain to be transmitted between vaccinated people