JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett tested negative for COVID-19 on Tuesday after a person on his flight back to Israel from the United Arab Emirates tested positive for the virus a day earlier.
Bennett returned to Israel on Monday after a historic trip to the UAE. The premier had already begun the required three-day quarantine when news broke that someone on his flight contracted the virus. According to Israeli Health Ministry regulations, all incoming travelers must immediately go into isolation and test for the virus upon arrival at Ben Gurion airport.
Bennett is expected to take a second COVID-19 test on Wednesday, also in accordance with government regulations, and will be allowed to leave isolation if he tests negative, the prime minister’s office said.
Bennett’s office did not specify who tested positive on his flight.
The prime minister traveled to the UAE over the weekend with a scaled-down entourage and no journalists due to concerns over the Omicron variant. It was the first time an Israeli prime minister has visited the Gulf state since the two countries normalized ties last year.
Since the emergence of Omicron, Israel has banned all foreigners from entering the country. On Tuesday, the government decided to expand restrictions and will require that Israelis provide negative COVID tests or proof of vaccination to enter shopping malls beginning on Friday.
The Health Ministry said Tuesday there are 87 confirmed cases of Omicron in Israel and another 150 suspected cases. So far, no one has died from the variant.
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