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Is coronavirus going to obstruct Pesach travel?
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amother
OP


 

Post Thu, Mar 05 2020, 1:45 am
We live in NY and are not Israeli citizens. My family moved to Israel a while back and we usually go spend Pesach with them. Did not book tickets yet but was planning to do so this week. Israel just started putting restrictions and quarantines on visitors from various places, I'm sure NY will be next now that we have active cases. What's not clear is how long these restrictions can be expected to continue. I will definitely buy trip cancellation insurance but I want to know if it's pointless to plan the trip anyway and if I should be cleaning and shopping for Pesach at home Sad
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DrMom




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Mar 05 2020, 2:09 am
So far, neither Israel nor the US have put each other on their (growing) list of restricted or quarantine travel list.
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Elfrida  




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Mar 05 2020, 2:43 am
Don't think they could quarantine tourists just from NY. It would have to be the whole of America, which could be a difficult undertaking.

The Israeli hotels are already advertising special offers for Israelis who are staying here, indicating they expect a very weak Pesach tourist season.

Pesach is just over a month away, and some predictions (I don't know what they are based on) indicate that this will peak during May. Given the 'better safe than sorry' attitude that seems to be prevalent, I don't think any travel restrictions will be lifted before Pesach. Israel will not want to be flooded by lots of tourists from potentially suspect countries.

Right now there is no restriction on travel between Israel and America. You'll probably get a good deal on your tickets, as well.

Incidentally, people from restricted countries are allowed in (if they can find a flight) if they can prove that they have facilities for self isolation for fourteen days, and good travel health insurance. There could be better ways of spending your time in Israel, though.
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mamma llama




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Mar 05 2020, 2:51 am
It's not such a good idea to fly when if there are other options. Anybody on the plane could have been exposed to the coronavirus and the same air circulates throughout the entire flight.
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etky  




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Mar 05 2020, 2:59 am
I wouldn't say it's pointless, as long as your tickets are totally refundable/insured.
Make sure though that you have a contingency plan for making Pesach at home because I think it's more likely than not that you will not be coming here.
At the moment there are no restrictions on people flying in from the US although now anyone who has returned to Israel from any destination in the last two weeks is instructed not to attend any gathering of over 100 people. I assume that would mean not going to certain shuls. I also assume that this will continue to be the guidelines for returning travellers (and tourists?) for the foreseeable future.
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Zeleze




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Mar 05 2020, 4:43 am
I really think that YES

here in Israel, the health ministry is restricting each few days other countries and flights, so the US is not far off.

If they are doing it with reason, I don't know but I imagine the airport here in TLV looks like Havana
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  etky  




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Mar 05 2020, 5:01 am
OMG.
Was just publicized that the woman in NY who has Corona (the wife of the man from New Rochelle) was in Jerusalem last week. She was all over the city, in all the popular places, restuarants, public transportation, stores, malls etc.
It's all over folks.
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Rappel  




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Mar 05 2020, 5:14 am
etky wrote:
OMG.
Was just publicized that the woman in NY who has Corona (the wife of the man from New Rochelle) was in Jerusalem last week. She was all over the city, in all the popular places, restuarants, public transportation, stores, malls etc.
It's all over folks.

. She may not have been in her window of infection yet. But when it does hit here, I know the hospitals feel prepared to handle it.

I don't think Israel will be badly hurt overall by this plague, but I do think we should be doing more individually and nationally to ensure the safety of our elders and the immunocompromised. 1:30 is too many, in any population.
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  etky  




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Mar 05 2020, 5:15 am
Rappel wrote:
. She may not have been in her window of infection yet. But when it does hit here, I know the hospitals feel prepared to handle it.

I don't think Israel will be badly hurt overall by this plague, but I do think we should be doing more individually and nationally to ensure the safety of our elders and the immunocompromised. 1:30 is too many, in any population.


Really?
https://www.ynet.co.il/article......html
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  Rappel  




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Mar 05 2020, 5:16 am
amother [ OP ] wrote:
We live in NY and are not Israeli citizens. My family moved to Israel a while back and we usually go spend Pesach with them. Did not book tickets yet but was planning to do so this week. Israel just started putting restrictions and quarantines on visitors from various places, I'm sure NY will be next now that we have active cases. What's not clear is how long these restrictions can be expected to continue. I will definitely buy trip cancellation insurance but I want to know if it's pointless to plan the trip anyway and if I should be cleaning and shopping for Pesach at home Sad


Btw, OP - I love that you usually spend חג הגאולה with your family, in Israel. Good for you!
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  Rappel




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Mar 05 2020, 5:27 am
etky wrote:
Really?
https://www.ynet.co.il/article......html


You'll notice the article says that they have a sensible plan: anyone who has a mild case will be quarantined at home. (The MoH announced a week or two ago that quarantined patients qualify for home health care.) Anyone who is severely sick will be referred to one of several quarantine centers at hospitals across the country. They have the space and arrangements in place, and if they need more, they'll redirect funds. Meanwhile, they're putting said funds toward their current patients, as usual.
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  etky  




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Mar 05 2020, 5:31 am
Rappel wrote:
You'll notice the article says that they have a sensible plan: anyone who has a mild case will be quarantined at home. (The MoH announced a week or two ago that quarantined patients qualify for home health care.) Anyone who is severely sick will be referred to one of several quarantine centers at hospitals across the country. They have the space and arrangements in place, and if they need more, they'll redirect funds. Meanwhile, they're putting said funds toward their current patients, as usual.


Sensible, cause they don't have the resources to deal with this. That does not reassure me.
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amother
Burlywood  


 

Post Thu, Mar 05 2020, 5:51 am
Dear Op,

The only place I would even consider flying to at this point is E"Y. And yes they are best prepared to handle it.
B"H in the US and elsewhere there is also good healthcare.
We seem to be seeing the beginning; by mid March and Pesach....
At this point it seems best b'derech hatevah for people to not travel and to stay home. I did read something that also made sense if cvs someone gets quarantined or ill R"L and even if so hopefully with only a very mild case IY"H then it would seem helpful to be somewhere one has family, friends, support, insured health care, and hopefully supplies at home to help weather the storm may it not happen and if so be extremely mild.

As someone astutely pointed out in a different thread: there are DIY recipes to make hand sanitizer.

Please in a calm way everyone is advised by CDC to lay in at least two weeks supply of staples, shelf stable food, diapers, kids tylenol (for general use not that the kids should get this cvs) and the like, wash your kids hands and your own with soap and water when coming in the house, coming into school, or elsewhere, before leaving a public gym, class, etc., frequent hand washing with sanitizer when water and soap is not an option, before eating, after the bathroom, refrain from touching face, bleach based and alcohol based products for cleaning and laundering this kills the virus. Spray laundry bins with disinfectant spray such as lysol, wash washable laundry bins. Clean anywhere frequently touched: think door knobs, light switches, keyboards, toys...
Early Pesach cleaning.

Implementing these types of measures more often than not will help stop the spread of this disease. Which will help us, everyone, and not overwhelm health care systems. Good supportive health care seems crucial for those, hopefully a tiny number, who get it severely R"L.

My most important takeaway at this moment from all of this for myself is v'ahavta l'reecha, no
lashon hara, more tehilim and the like.

Torah Teshuva Tzedaka and Tefilla!

We can do our hishtadlut calmly seriously and with the trust in Hashem that everything is up to Him.
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amother
Seashell


 

Post Thu, Mar 05 2020, 6:41 am
etky wrote:
Sensible, cause they don't have the resources to deal with this. That does not reassure me.


I think that's why they are being so overcautious: because they know they can't handle it
Better than america where they won't admit that they can't handle it
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  etky  




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Mar 05 2020, 6:52 am
amother [ Seashell ] wrote:
I think that's why they are being so overcautious: because they know they can't handle it
Better than america where they won't admit that they can't handle it


Exactly so.
For weeks already hospital administrators have been complaining that they have neither the funding, the space nor the human resources to deal with a potential large scale crisis. Hospitals here can barely cope during a 'nornal' winter. Well the crisis is at our doorstep. We can only hope and pray that its magnitude is limited.
And I don't think they are being overcautious at all ,although with the way the situation appears today - the news of the infected American tourist's visit in Jerusalem together with the news of the virus having reached the Palestinian Authority- and with Purim in the offing, I kind of think that any measures short of shutting down the entire country will not be enough to contain this.
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nchr  




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Mar 05 2020, 6:56 am
Israel will probably not place quarentine restricts on America because it would impact the Israeli economy significantly. Similarly, this is one reason why Americans wouldn't quarentine an entire city or stop plans from coming for 2 weeks etc.
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  etky  




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Mar 05 2020, 7:14 am
[quote="nchr"]Israel will probably not place quarentine restricts on America because it would impact the Israeli economy significantly. Similarly, this is one reason why Americans wouldn't quarentine an entire city or stop plans from coming for 2 weeks etc.[/quote]

Yup. Never say never but it would be a very, very difficult thing to do.
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sky




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Mar 05 2020, 7:31 am
Travel insurance is very hard to get now. Most aren’t insuring for coronavirus.

Many airlines though are giving very generous cancelation policies
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chanchy123  




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Mar 05 2020, 7:34 am
nchr wrote:
Israel will probably not place quarentine restricts on America because it would impact the Israeli economy significantly. Similarly, this is one reason why Americans wouldn't quarentine an entire city or stop plans from coming for 2 weeks etc.

No. I’m pretty sure the US will be next on the list. As of now very few people are traveling through Ben Gurion. Ella is laying off 1000 employees. All international conferences have been canceled. This is very likely the next step.
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amother
  Burlywood


 

Post Thu, Mar 05 2020, 7:37 am
Or perhaps everyone arriving by law would have to go into quarantine....

At this point seems like every flight from or to anywhere has this risk based on evolving situation and any possible exposure R"L.

There was an announcement on flights once passengers boarded that Israelis traveling from some countries like Italy, Germany, Spain would have to self isolate and some people got off the flight so as not to do so. Which also has other sobering implications on many levels.
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