Accordingly, the new variant was discovered by PCR tests on two people entering Tel Aviv’s airport. Those affected had fever, headaches and muscle aches, but did not require any special medical care. According to Israel’s corona advisor Salman Zarka, the combination of two virus variants is a common phenomenon. “At this stage we are not worried that the new variant could lead to serious cases,” he said on Israeli military radio.
The more contagious BA.2 subtype of the omicron variant is currently spreading in many states. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), however, it does not lead to severe disease progression more frequently than the BA.1 type subvariant. According to his office, Prime Minister Naftali Bennet called a meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Health on Wednesday because of the increasing number of infections worldwide.
Israel abolished its Covid vaccination card in February and was the first country in the world to reopen its borders to unvaccinated people in early March. Foreigners are required to take a PCR test prior to travel and then again upon entry, while Israeli citizens are only required to undergo a PCR test upon arrival.
Source: Nachrichten
