Headquarters for breaking chain of COVID-19 infections
Headquarters for breaking chain of COVID-19 infectionsIDF spokesperson

On Friday, the IDF Home Front Command began taking the first steps in assisting with the newly-discovered "Omicron" COVID-19 variant.

As part of the IDF's efforts, the Home Front Command facilitated at-home COVID-19 testing for hundreds of civilians who returned to Israel from countries that are considered "red" and who are now in quarantine.

In addition, the IDF has increased teams which assist passengers returning from abroad in traveling to quarantine hotels.

Upcoming flights returning from "red" countries (Seychelles and South Africa) will be redirected to Terminal 1, where Home Front Command teams will assist in transferring passengers to quarantine hotels.

The Commander of the "Alon" COVID-19 Taskforce, Brigadier General (res.) Ralli Margalit, has requested that the testing post at the airport be reinforced with additional PCR tests, and that a dedicated investigation team be established to track the variant and prevent further transmission of the virus.

Commander of the "Alon" COVID-19 Taskforce, Brigadier General (res.) Ralli Margalit, said: "We understand that there is a good chance that the new variant is already here, and therefore we are doing everything we can to prevent contagion and the spread of the virus."

"Thankfully, at this time, the number of confirmed cases in Israel is low, and we have sufficient workforce to handle the situation. The Home Front Command, the Alon COVID-19 Taskforce, and the Ministry of Health will continue to operate as long as needed to deal with this variant."