Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett declared that the country is in the fifth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has been triggered by the new Omicron variant, and that his cabinet is considering new restrictions to prevent the virus from spreading further.

"The fifth wave has begun," Bennett said during a televised press conference, adding that new restrictions will be issued in the coming days. The Prime Minister urged people to work from home whenever possible and urged citizens to get vaccinated, particularly children. "Do not expose and expose children," he said, adding that child vaccination rates in rural areas are as low as 3-5 percent. Israel banned travel to ten more countries on Sunday in order to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant.

The ban will go into effect on Wednesday and will cover the United States, Canada, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, Turkey, Germany, Hungary, Morocco, and Belgium. All Israelis returning from prohibited countries, including those who have been vaccinated and recovered, must enter quarantine for at least seven days.

Following the first report of the Omicron variant, Israel largely closed its international borders. The majority of African countries, eight European countries, and the United Arab Emirates are already on the list of "red" countries.

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