Monday, March 18th | 9 Adar II 5784

Subscribe
November 28, 2021 4:23 pm
0

Eilat Miss Universe Contest to Go Forward Despite Omicron, Minister Says

× [contact-form-7 404 "Not Found"]

avatar by Reuters and Algemeiner Staff

The reigning winner of Miss Universe, Andrea Meza of Mexico poses for a photo in front of the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City as part of the preparation for Israel hosting Miss Universe 2021 later this year, November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

Israel will host the Miss Universe beauty pageant in the Red Sea resort of Eilat on Dec. 12 despite imposing travel restrictions to try to stave off the Omicron coronavirus variant, Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov said on Sunday.

On Saturday Israel announced that it was banning foreigners from entering the country, but Razvozov on Sunday told reporters that participants in the Miss Universe pageant would be granted waivers while possibly undergoing PCR testing every 48 hours and other precautionary measures.

“This is an event that will be broadcast in 174 countries, a very important event, an event that Eilat, too, is very much in need of,” he said before Sunday’s weekly cabinet meeting.

“We will know how to manage this event. So, by using the waivers committee, we will have events like this, to which the country already committed itself and cannot cancel.”

In televised remarks at the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that Israel needs “to clamp down” on its borders to keep the country “open internally.”

Israel has confirmed one case of infection from the Omicron coronavirus variant.

Share this Story: Share On Facebook Share On Twitter

Let your voice be heard!

Join the Algemeiner

Algemeiner.com

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.