FLIGHT BAN AIMS TO CURB SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS

JERUSALEM Israel will ban passenger flights in and out of the country from Monday evening for a week as it seeks to stop the spread of new coronavirus variants.

“Other than rare exceptions, we are closing the sky hermetically to prevent the entry of the virus variants and also to ensure that we progress quickly with our vaccination campaign,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in public remarks at the start of a cabinet meeting.

The ban will come into force from Monday at 22:00 GMT and last until the end of January, a statement from Netanyahu’s office said.

The country’s borders have largely been closed to foreigners during the pandemic, with only Israeli passport holders allowed entry.

Also on Sunday, Israel expanded its rapid vaccination drive. The vaccines were initially limited to high-risk categories, but are now available to anyone over 40 or — with parental permission — between 16 and 18.