Israel reportedly part of seven-nation effort to reopen trade and tourism

i24NEWS

May 04, 2020, 01:33 AMlatest revision May 04, 2020, 04:12 AM

POOL via AFP / AMMAR AWADIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz shake hands during a joint press conference at the prime minister’s office in Jerusalem on June 11, 2018.

Israel currently bars all foreign travel into the country, with returning citizens required to self-isolate

Israel is being included in a seven-nation strategy that seeks to promote trade and tourism in an effort to rebuild economies battered by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz drove the new initiative, which looks to provide countries heavily dependent on tourism a safe way to reopen their borders to travelers, without sparking an anticipated second wave of coronavirus infections.

The coordinated effort would see travel hubs conduct extensive coronavirus testing on travelers while requiring passengers to wear facemasks and gloves. Temperature tests and social distancing rules would also be enforced.

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Israel currently bars all foreign travel into the country and requires all returning Israelis to self-quarantine for at least two weeks.

On April 24, leaders from the seven participating countries held an online conference call to discuss the initiative, which included prime ministers from Israel, Australia, Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, and New Zealand.

“The world leaders discussed ways to advance international cooperation in the struggle against the coronavirus, exchanged ideas and ways in which their countries are dealing with the spread of the virus, raised common dilemmas in reopening the economy and policy regarding the reopening of educational institutions, and discussed ways of protecting at-risk populations in the shadow of the coronavirus,” a statement released after the meeting said.

According to the Wall Street Journal, countries involved in the talks are hopeful they can reopen their borders to trade and tourism in the coming weeks.