Oman says only jabbed travelers to be allowed in

Oman said on Monday only vaccinated people will be allowed to travel to the sultanate in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Omani state news agency said the decision would be applied to all countries without exception.

Israel on Tuesday recorded its highest daily coronavirus case tally of nearly 11,000 new infections, amid a surge caused by the highly transmissible delta variant as schools prepare to reopen. The previous high came on Jan. 18, with 10,118 cases.

Despite Tuesday’s 10,947 confirmed cases, Israel is pressing ahead with plans to fully open its school system on Wednesday as it tries to boost vaccination rates.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, a critic of the cycle of lockdowns implemented by his predecessor Benjamin Netanyahu, has maintained that the surge can be controlled through inoculation and protective measures such as masks.

His government has encouraged all residents aged 12 and above to get a third get jab of the PfizerBioNTech vaccine. About 60 percent of Israel’s 9.3 million residents have received two shots of the vaccine, including 80 percent of adults.

Israel was in December one of the first countries to launch a national vaccination campaign, which brought daily infections down to a trickle and allowed the lifting in June of nearly all pandemic restrictions.

Meanwhile, booster shots will be made widely available to Americans in September, while several other countries including Israel, Germany and France have decided to offer boosters to older adults and people with weak immune systems.

As of yet, there is no consensus among scientists and agencies that a third dose is necessary.

The World Health Organization said on Aug. 18 that current data does not indicate a need for COVID-19 booster shots, and has repeatedly called for a delay arguing that the most vulnerable people worldwide should be fully vaccinated before high-income countries deploy a top-up.