Ben Gurion International airport
Ben Gurion International airportAvi Dishi/Flash90

The Israeli government will remove restrictions on travel to dozens of countries in the coming week, Channel 12 News reported.

Currently, the number of countries defined as 'red,' to which travel is prohibited, is 69. That number is set to drop to under 20.

Travel bans will be listed on most African nations and several European nations, but will remain in effect for the United States, Canada, the UK, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Turkey, France, Switzerland, Hungary, Spain, Portugal, Tanzania and Nigeria. In addition, Mexico will be added to the list of red countries.

The countries for which travel bans will remain in effect are countries with high coronavirus infection rates.

A committee of experts which advises the government on coronavirus policy stated yesterday that Israel is approaching the point where the Omicron variant will be prevalent enough in the country that travel restrictions will have no value.