Israel Weighs Entry Restrictions for Travelers Returning From Ebola-Affected Countries

Five countries in Africa today (Tuesday) reported to the World Health Organization that hundreds of people have died as a result of the spread of the Ebola virus. The countries are: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda, and Kenya.

Israel’s Health Ministry, which is monitoring developments, said it is continuing to hold ongoing professional situation assessments. As of now, officials said, no case of Ebola is known in Israel, and the risk to the public in Israel, as in other Western countries, remains low.

At the same time, because of the severity of the disease, the high mortality rates, and the complexity involved in treating suspected or confirmed cases, the Health Ministry is working to reduce the risk of the virus reaching Israel and to ensure the healthcare system is as prepared as possible for any scenario.

As part of the preparations, professional guidelines will be distributed to medical teams and the relevant hospitals for dealing with cases where there is a risk of illness. In addition, procurement of protective gear and dedicated equipment has begun, early identification mechanisms are being advanced for travelers returning from outbreak areas, and additional steps are being examined to reduce the risk of importing cases into Israel.

Following the professional risk assessment, and with the goal of reducing the risk of the disease being brought into Israel as noted, the Health Ministry has asked the Population and Immigration Authority to consider a temporary restriction on the entry of people who are not Israeli citizens or residents and who stayed during the 21 days before their arrival in one of the African countries where there is an increased risk of exposure to the disease. The goal is to reduce as much as possible the risk of imported cases reaching Israel.

The Health Ministry emphasized that "this is a preventive step being considered as part of the broader preparedness effort, and that as of now there has been no change in the guidelines for the public. The Health Ministry again recommends avoiding non-essential travel to areas where there is known and active transmission of the disease."