In the midst of a major coronavirus outbreak, Israel is implementing extreme measures, including banning any international passenger flights and cracking down on religious groups who continue to flout public health regulations, the Associated Press reports.
“We are closing the skies hermetically, except for really rare exceptions, to prevent the entry of virus mutations, and also to ensure that we progress quickly with our vaccination campaign,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
Israel is banning all incoming and outgoing flights into the country with the exceptions of medical, cargo and humanitarian flights. The order will go in effect Tuesday and last through the end of January.
Authorities are also cracking down on ultra-Orthodox communities in Israel, which have protested restrictions on gatherings including worship services. Ultra-Orthodox sects have continued to open school and hold services, as well as having mass weddings and funerals.
The ultra-Orthodox community accounts to about one-third of Israel’s nearly 600,000 coronavirus cases, even though they’re just 10% of the country’s population.