Israel to host Miss Universe contest despite restrictions by omicron variant

Reuters

Israel will host the Miss Universe beauty pageant at the Red Sea resort of Eilat on Dec. 12, despite having imposed travel restrictions to try to avoid the omicron coronavirus variant, Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov said on Sunday. ).

On Saturday, Israel announced it would ban foreigners from entering the country, increase quarantines for citizens and residents returning from abroad, and re-establish controversial cell-phone surveillance designed to track infections.

However, Razvozov said on Sunday (28) that Miss Universe participants would receive exemptions, possibly having to undergo PCR tests 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 also very much needs,” he told reporters ahead of the weekly cabinet meeting, where ministers would vote on measures to combat the omicron variant.

“We will know how to manage this event. Then, using the layoff committee, we will have events like this, which the country has already committed to and cannot cancel.” Israel confirmed a case of omicron in a tourist who arrived from Malawi.

Israel will host the Miss Universe beauty pageant at the Red Sea resort of Eilat on Dec. 12, despite having imposed travel restrictions to try to avoid the omicron coronavirus variant, Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov said Sunday.

On Saturday, Israel announced it would ban foreigners from entering the country, increase quarantines for citizens and residents returning from abroad, and reinstate controversial cell-phone surveillance designed to track infections.

However, Razvozov said on Sunday that Miss Universe participants would receive exemptions, possibly having to undergo PCR tests 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 also very much needs,” he told reporters ahead of the weekly cabinet meeting where ministers would vote on anti-micron measures.

“We will know how to manage this event. Then, using the layoff committee, we will have events like this, which the country has already committed to and cannot cancel.”

Israel confirmed a case of omicron in a tourist who arrived from Malawi.

This will be the 70th edition of the dispute, which held its last event in May this year. Due to the health crisis caused by the new coronavirus, the 2020 celebration had to be postponed to this year and consecrated the Mexican Andrea Meza, 27, champion. With that, she will have one of the shortest reigns in the competition’s history, about seven months.

Teresa Santos, 23, from Ceará, is the Brazilian representative at Miss Universe. The announcement of her choice as the winner of the Brazilian stage of the competition was made in early November.