Health

Israel to admit some foreigners with presumed COVID-19 immunity

Israel said on Monday it will admit foreigners with presumed COVID-19 immunity from countries deemed medium-risk as of January 9, partially reversing a ban on entry by foreigners imposed in late November in response to the fast-spreading omicron variant.

The Health Ministry said on Monday that travelers from 199 countries Israel has designated “orange” would have to prove in advance they are vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19 and would be subject to PCR testing before and after arrival.

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They include Australia, Italy and Ireland. The Health Ministry has also recommended that South Africa, Nigeria, Spain, Portugal, France and Canada, currently among 16 countries listed as “red” or high COVID-19 risk, be changed to “orange”.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in a televised address on Sunday that Israel would this week begin loosening curbs on international travel even as micron-fuelled cases spiral.

The US, Britain, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mexico, Switzerland and Turkey remain on Israel’s red list, the ministry said. Visitors from those countries require advance special permission from an Israeli committee to enter the country.

Israel banned most travel to and from red-listed countries – initially all in southern Africa – on November 25 after the omicron variant was first detected.

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Health

Pandemic experts express concern over avian influenza spread to humans

The ongoing global spread of “bird flu” infections to mammals including humans is a significant public health concern, senior UN medics said on Thursday, as they announced new measures to tackle airborne diseases.

Health

Violations of women’s reproductive health rights trigger rise in preventable deaths

African women are 130 times more likely to die due to pregnancy or childbirth complications than women in Europe and Northern America, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA) said in a new report published on Wednesday.

Health

Nigeria first country to introduce ‘revolutionary’ meningitis vaccine

Nigeria has become the first country to roll out a “revolutionary” five-in-one vaccine against meningitis, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement on Friday.