The joy of regained freedom of travel does not last long: the number of infections is rising again in many holiday countries. And thus also the number of infections brought from abroad. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has recorded an increasing proportion of corona infections that can be attributed to stays abroad since the first border openings in mid-June.
According to the RKI, this rate peaked at 46 percent before the lockdown in mid-March. In other words, almost half of the infections in Germany at that time originated abroad – they were imported, so to speak. The border closings in March saw these numbers drop to 0.4 percent.
But since many countries reopened their borders, the numbers have increased again – most recently they even reached a rate of 31 percent. For example, 1777 of the corona cases reported last week came from returning travelers who were infected abroad. Surf tip: You can find all the news about the corona pandemic in the FOCUS Online news ticker
These are the top 15 infection countries according to the RKI
According to the RKI, the most common foreign infections in the past four weeks can be traced back to the following nations:
1. to Kosovo in 1096 cases
2. Turkey in 501 cases
3. on Croatia in 260 cases
4. on Serbia in 196 cases
5. Bulgaria in 166 cases
6. Bosnia and Herzegovina in 156 cases
7. Romania in 113 cases
8. on Poland in 112 cases
9. on Spain in 107 cases
10. on Macedonia in 92 cases
11. on Albania with 86 cases
12. The Netherlands in 50 cases
13. on Austria in 44 cases
14. on France in 43 cases
15. on Ukraine in 43 cases
Most infections take place in Germany – not abroad
Nevertheless, the number of infections that occurred in Germany in the past four weeks is significantly higher at around 8607 cases. This means that most infections still take place in your own country and not abroad.
The exposure countries such as Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Ukraine also show that infections abroad are not only due to tourist trips, as these are not typical travel destinations and the RKI list does not only include tourist trips. Nevertheless, there are some popular travel destinations on the list of countries in which Germans are apparently becoming increasingly infected:
Turkey
Among the popular holiday destinations, Turkey was named the most frequently as the site of infection (501 cases), although according to the Foreign Office there is still a travel warning. However, the following provinces have recently been exempted from this, provided they strictly adhere to the tourism and hygiene concept decreed by the Turkish government:
- Aydin
- Izmir and Muğla in the Aegean region
- the province of Antalya in the Mediterranean region
If you travel to these regions of Turkey, you still have to prove a negative corona test before returning to Germany, which must not be older than 48 hours – precisely because the entry to Germany has been very high in recent weeks.
Croatia
Croatia also has noticeably high numbers of infected German travelers (260 cases), where there has recently been a significant increase in infections in the country. According to the Federal Foreign Office, the number of Covid-19 infections even reached values that were on average above those of spring – according to the European Center of Disease Control (ECDC), the number of cases last week was sometimes more than 70 new infections per day. The regional focus so far has been the capital and the environs of Zagreb, Slavonia and Split-Dalmatia.
Bulgaria
Since the number of infections has increased sharply in Bulgaria, the following administrative districts have officially been considered risk areas since August 7th:
Varna and the neighboring Golden Sands are among the tourist strongholds on the Black Sea, which are particularly popular with young party holidaymakers. According to EDC, the daily number of infections in the country over the past seven days was sometimes more than 300 cases per day. The RKI recorded Bulgaria as the country of origin of an infection 166 times in the past four weeks.
Spain
Spain was one of the worst-affected countries in Europe by Corona, so it was not at all clear for a long time whether it would still open to tourism this year. But since the borders to Spain were reopened in July and holidaymakers and travelers have been allowed back into the country, the number of infections has also risen again in many places.
After Great Britain and other countries had meanwhile classified Spain as a Corona risk area, the Federal Republic of Germany followed suit: Since July 31, Aragon, Catalonia and Navarra have been considered risk areas within the country – since August 11, the Basque Country and Madrid. According to the RKI, around 107 infections can be attributed to travelers to Spain.
Netherlands
According to the Federal Foreign Office, the risk of contracting Corona in the Netherlands is similar to that in Germany. Therefore, entry from Germany is also possible without restrictions. Nevertheless, 50 corona cases are due to returnees from Holland. The regional focus so far has been Noord-Brabant, Zuid-Holland and Noord-Holland.
Austria
The small Alpine republic was one of the first destinations that German vacationers were allowed to return to. In the meantime, the numbers in the country are rising again due to tourism – the holiday resort of St. Wolfgang even turned out to be a new hotspot for a short time because numerous new infections occurred. Although the situation is under control again, vacationers there should not disregard the rules of distance and hygiene. After all, 44 Germans were infected in Austria.
France
Just like Spain, France was badly affected by the corona pandemic, but has now got the pandemic under control, so that only a few local sources of infection appear. In the past four weeks, 43 Germans have been infected.
Kosovo
Kosovo is actually not a typical holiday country, nevertheless most of the returnees who have been infected with Sars-CoV-2 are currently coming from there – 1,096 in the past four weeks. Kosovo has been a risk area since the start of the travel warnings and has never been downgraded. Twelve people per two million inhabitants are currently dying there as a result of Covid 19 disease – every day. That reported the "ZDF". For comparison: According to "Worldometer" figures, between three and 13 people have died every day from the consequences of their infection in the past two weeks.
It is not known why the number of returnees from Kosovo is so high. In Germany, however, there are very many migrants from the Balkans – just under 150,000 with a valid residence permit. On August 3rd, as in all Muslim countries, the Muslim Festival of Sacrifice was celebrated, which is an important family festival. It is possible that many of the immigrants living in Germany drove home to their families as a result. In addition, they could use the summer holidays for family visits.
There are also some reports from tourists. In Amberg in the Upper Palatinate, for example, a returnee who had made a bus tour through Kosovo with a tour group recently tested positive, according to regional newspaper reports.
Test obligation for returnees from risk areas
Since August 8, holidaymakers returning to Germany from a risk area have had to be tested for Sars-CoV-2 or go into a two-week quarantine. The tests are free and there are now test stations at many airports and train stations.
Countries in which the infection rate has exceeded 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in the last seven days are classified as risk areas. However, countries that fall below this value can also be classified as risky. That always depends on the type of outbreak (local or area-wide) as well as on the containment measures on site and the test capacities.
Even travelers who have not been to a risk country but would like to be certain that they have not been infected anywhere can have themselves tested free of charge if they contact the health department or a test center within 72 hours of their return.
These tests for return travelers are intended to help better control the entry of infections into Germany and to contain the pandemic.