Israel halts all flights

<p>
Israel on Tuesday closed its international airport to all flights as a one-week measure aimed at stopping the new coronavirus variants from entering the country.</p>
<p>
The international Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv will remain closed until January 31, when the ban is expected to be lifted, the Airport Authority said in a statement.</p>
<p>
The measure bans all incoming and outgoing flights, except for medical emergencies and attending legal procedures or a funeral of a relative, reports Xinhua news agency.<br />
<br />
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday that the goal of the ban is to stop the arrival of new coronavirus variants and curb the outbreak in the country, according to a statement released by his office.<br />
<br />
Some health officials said the ban might be extended.<br />
<br />
"Six days of airport closure will not suffice," Sharon Alroy-Preis, head of Public Health Services, told the parliament's Law and Justice Committee on Monday.<br />
<br />
She said the Ministry wants to prevent the arrival of new variants before a large part of the population is vaccinated.<br />
<br />
The country began a large-scale vaccination drive on December 20.<br />
<br />
Israel has been under a third nationwide lockdown since December 19, 2020, which is expected to be lifted on January 31.<br />
<br />
With a population of about 9 million people, Israel has so far reported a total of 606,365 coronavirus cases and 4,498 deaths.</p>
<p>
<em>(IANS)</em></p>
<p>
 </p>
<p>
 </p>
<p>
 </p>