COVID: Jabbed tourists may be able to enter by mid-April – tourism min.

Vaccinated tourists might be able to enter Israel beginning as early as mid-April, Tourism Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen told The Jerusalem Post Monday.

“We are working on the issue; I hope that we can start around mid-April,” she said on the sidelines of a conference organized by the Israel National Institute for Health Policy Research.

The income from foreign tourists is going to be very important for the tourism sector, Farkash-Hacohen said during the conference, adding that she is working on an outline with the Health Ministry to allow international visitors.

At the moment, regardless of their vaccination status, non-citizens are allowed into the country only in very limited circumstances and need permission from a special governmental committee.

Representatives of most parties running in the upcoming March 23 election took part in a panel discussion about their vision for public health in Israel.

“I will explain what my fear is: that people will say we have devoted tens of billions [of shekels] to the healthcare system, and now is the time to focus on education, welfare, security,” Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said. “Neglecting the healthcare budget would be a bitter mistake. The coronavirus crisis has taught us just the opposite: Investing in the healthcare system is a smart, long-term investment.”