Israel detects new COVID sub-variant ‘AY4.2'; PM Bennett calls for increased vigilance

In the aftermath of Israel discovering a new COVID sub-variant, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has ordered health officials to bolster their vigilance on infection. On Wednesday, Bennett held an emergency meeting during which he instructed top authorities to increase their epidemiological investigations and boost genetic testing of those diagnosed with a new strain, as reported by Times of Israel. Earlier on October 19, the subvariant named ‘AY4.2’ was found in an 11-year-old boy who returned to Israel from Moldova. Later, the Prime Minster's office disclosed that 'just a few cases' of the new mutation have been detected in the country over the past weeks. 

The AY4.2 sub-variant was initially discovered in the UK but has now spread across Europe. Considering the same, Bennett asked health officials to closely cooperate and share information with the countries that have detected cases of AY4.2, especially in Europe. “Quick action must be taken in order to maintain the success that has been achieved up until now in the fight against the virus,” a statement from his office read. 

Following months of start-stop restrictions, Israel is finally mulling to reopen its borders for vaccinated tourists. While at the tail-end of the fourth wave of coronavirus infections, the country has a total of 15,623 active cases. The country has also vaccinated 6,212,587 people with the first dose, 5,707,275 with the second as well as 3,875,901 with a third booster shot, as per the country’s Health Ministry.

Who can enter Israel?

The State of Israel could start allowing individual vaccinated tourists into the country at the beginning of November. As per the current travel regulations, only tourists in groups of five or more are allowed to enter the middle eastern country. According to Hebrew-language daily Globes, all individual tourists desiring to enter Israel must be vaccinated with at least two or three (booster) doses of a recognised COVID vaccine. The inoculation should have been done within the past six months of boarding the flight. At present, only two shots, that manufactured by Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech have been recognised by Israeli health authorities, but authorities said they would accept any vaccine approved by the World Health Organization. 

Image: AP

(With agency inputs)