JERUSALEM, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- Israel on Sunday approved controversial technology for tracing people who might have been contracted coronavirus in an effort to prevent the spread of a new Omicron variant.

The cabinet approved the use of the Shin Bet internal security agency's phone monitoring system to track the individuals in Israel who were infected with the Omicron variant.

The controversial technology would be used "in order to locate confirmed cases and to cut the contagion chains," Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's Office said in a statement.

The office stressed that the use of the system would be limited only to track people confirmed with the omicron variant, "not for a widespread use, as done in previous coronavirus waves."

The move comes a day after the coronavirus cabinet decided to ban entry of foreigners to the country.

On Saturday, Israeli Health Ministry issued a ban on its citizens traveling to 50 African countries to prevent the spread of the new COVID-19 variant Omicron.

Meanwhile, Israeli citizens arriving from abroad would have to enter quarantine, said the Prime Minister's Office.

On Friday, Israeli Health Ministry said that a first confirmed case of Omicron was detected in a traveler who arrived from Malawi. Enditem

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