Israel's Health Ministry announced Monday a swimming ban at all beaches in Haifa and the adjacent Kiryat Haim area, marking the second such closure in just two weeks. The warning comes after water quality tests revealed abnormal microbiological levels in the Mediterranean waters off the northern coastal city.
The ministry said it is continuing to monitor the situation closely. Officials emphasized that swimming is permitted only at officially designated beaches that have not been flagged with warnings.
This latest closure follows a similar incident on August 11, when the Health Ministry issued swimming warnings for Haifa beaches, including Carmel Beach and Students Beach, also due to irregular microbiological test results. That earlier warning was lifted after 24 hours once follow-up water samples came back within acceptable parameters.
