Israel’s Health Ministry is on the verge of a decision to end the requirement for COVID testing for travelers arriving at Ben-Gurion Airport, Channel 12 News reported on Tuesday evening. The restriction is likely to be eased in just two to three weeks, the report said. Some senior health officials are opposed to the move as in recent days about 25% of new infections have been diagnosed in Israelis returning from abroad. Additionally, three cases of a new COVID variant were discovered in travelers who arrived at Ben-Gurion last week. Despite these concerns, the decision has been made to end testing. However, the testing system will remain in place in order to allow tests to be resumed in the event of the discovery of new variants.

Israel’s Health Ministry issued a report following its audit of the Strauss factory last week following the salmonella finding and the largest recall in Israeli history. About 30 out of 300 samples taken so far from the factory’s production line, raw material, in-process products, and final products tested positive for salmonella. As of Sunday morning, there have been 21 reported incidents of salmonella tied to Strauss products, six of whom were hospitalized, a number that fortunately does not indicate a widespread outbreak. The audit uncovered significant failures in the company’s procedures and behavior.

The heads of the Strauss Group company held a press conference on Thursday evening and admitted to shocking revelations regarding the company’s operations in the wake of the salmonella finding and the largest recall in Israeli history. The conference follows the Health Ministry’s announcement on Thursday morning that the factory’s license has been removed for at least three months. CEO Eyal Dror said: “We recently renovated the factory and it wasn’t carried out according to proper regulations. About a month before the salmonella was discovered, there were pigeons in the liquid chocolate factory. We work with serious pest control companies but proper work regulations were not upheld.

The Strauss company informed the Health Ministry on Tuesday night that the laboratory results on some Elite finished products were positive for salmonella, confirming that the salmonella found in the production line was transferred to the products. Strauss said that the tainted products have already been recalled. The CEO of Strauss Group in Israel Eyal Dor announced on Tuesday that the company will provide double compensation for consumers who purchased the tainted products. On Wednesday, Strauss announced that the recall has been expanded to include the following products: Elite chocolate, cakes and wafer, Energy cereal bars, Energy chocolate-coated rice cakes, gum, and taffy candies.

Following the announcement on Monday of a massive recall of Elite chocolate products after salmonella was discovered in the factory’s production line, there were a number of reports on Tuesday of cases of suspected salmonella poisoning. A Jerusalem woman was treated on Tuesday for possible salmonella poisoning and was released home after being treated with antibiotics and fluids. The woman said that she ate a large amount of chocolate on Monday morning [before hearing about the recall] and began developing symptoms overnight.

Hours after Israel’s Tourism Minister called for an end to COVID testing at Ben-Gurion Airport, Israel’s Health Ministry announced on Monday that three cases of a new COVID variant have been discovered in travelers who arrived at Ben-Gurion Airport last week. The new variant is the BA.4 Omicron subvariant which is currently spreading in South Africa, leading to an increase in the infection rate there. According to the ministry, one of the travelers had returned from South Africa, one from Singapore, and one from Italy. “Beyond that, there is not yet any further information about this variant and the Health Ministry is continuing to monitor and update [the public] as needed,” the ministry stated.

Israel’s Strauss company announced on Monday morning that a routine inspection conducted at its Elite chocolate factory revealed several salmonella samples in raw ingredients in the production line. Strauss immediately updated the Health Ministry on its finding and in coordination with the ministry, made a decision to recall all relevant products, including Pesak Zeman bars, “Para” chocolate bars, Blondy, Taami, Egozi and Kif Kef bars, mini lentils and Milky puddings. [See full list below.] A company spokesperson said that it has not received any complaints of illness from consumers but nevertheless the company is recalling all relevant products manufactured in the past two months.

Israel’s Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov (Yesh Atid) on Monday called for an end to coronavirus testing for those arriving at Ben-Gurion Airport in Israel. “Enough with PCR tests upon entering Israel,” Razvozov stated. “Mandatory PCR testing is a financial burden and the main reason for the lines at Ben-Gurion.” “As long as COVID is decreasing, it’s possible and necessary to make it even easier for Israelis and tourists arriving here. The cancelation of the PCR test as a condition of entry is a necessary step that will result in an improved flight experience and a reduction of vacation costs in Israel.” Earlier this week, former coronavirus czar Prof.

The World Health Organization says at least one death has been reported in connection with a mysterious liver disease outbreak affecting children in Europe and the United States. The U.N. health agency said late Saturday that it has so far received reports of at least 169 cases of “acute hepatitis of unknown origin” from a dozen countries. The cases were reported in children aged one month to 16 years old, and 17 of those who fell ill required liver transplants. WHO didn’t say in which country the death occurred. Israel’s Health Ministry on Sunday reported that eight additional cases of acute hepatitis of unknown origin were diagnosed in children over the weekend, raising the total number of cases in the country to 20.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz announced on Wednesday the revocation of the requirement to wear masks in most enclosed spaces Masks will still be required in places with a high potential for infection such as hospitals, nursing homes, and on flights. The decision will go into effect beginning on Motzei Shabbos, April 23 at 8 p.m. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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