Tel Aviv, 3 January 2022 (dpa/MIA) - Israel is reopening to tourists, allowing those who are considered to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to enter the country as of January 9, the Health Ministry said on Monday. The easing of the regulations applies to tourists who are not travelling from countries classified as high risk. Israel had banned tourists entering from the country due to the risk of the new and more transmissible Omicron strain of Covid-19, as the first cases of the variant were detected in late November. Monday's move came as experts decided that the regulation no longer made sense given the rapid spread of the Omicron strain in the country. The easing followed Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's meeting with the ministers of foreign affairs, the interior, health, tourism and transport. Tourists reaching Israel must spend 24 hours in quarantine or until they test negative for the virus after a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. Under Israeli regulations, only those who have received their shots within the past six months, or who have received a booster shot, are considered to be vaccinated. The new entry rules also apply to those who have recovered from the virus. On Monday, the Israeli Health Ministry announced more than 6,500 new cases of Covid-19, the most within a day since September. However, the number of those who are seriously ill increased only slightly to 110. Monday also saw the launch of a vaccination campaign for the over 60s and medical staff, who can now receive a fourth shot. Only some 60 per cent of Israel's 9.4 million people are considered to be vaccinated under the latest regulations. Meanwhile 31 per cent of the population have not been vaccinated at all, and 9 per cent of Israelis' vaccinations are no longer considered valid.