JERUSALEM, December 12, Reuters - Israel has added Britain, Denmark and Belgium to its red list of countries that Israelis are not allowed to visit, citing concerns over the spread of the Omicron variant.
A senior Israeli health official told a news conference that travel restrictions for the three countries will go into effect on Wednesday.
Israel has already banned entry of foreigners to try to stem COVID 19 infection rates and imposed 3 -- 7 day self-isolation orders for Israelis returning from abroad.
Sharon Alroy-Preis, head of public health at Israel's Health Ministry, said Britain, Denmark and Belgium were being placed on the restricted list because of the widespread spread of the Omicron variant there.
Since the discovery of the highly contagious variant, some 50 countries, mainly in Africa, have been declared red by Israel.
Israeli health officials said there have been 55 confirmed cases of Omicron infection in Israel, which has been trying to speed up its vaccination program while weighing stricter enforcement of mask mandates.