From this date onwards, an individual assessment should be made as to whether an entire country or individual regions are classified as a risk area. If this is the case, a travel warning will automatically apply. The decision is made in consultation between the Federal Ministry of Health, the Foreign Office and the Federal Ministry of the Interior, says the "Bild".
Travel warning: The upper limit is still used as an evaluation criterion
The assessment is carried out in a two-stage process: The upper limit of 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in the last seven days for a region also applies. Corona hotspots are identified in the same way in Germany.
Risk area: Qualitative assessment should be made
In addition to the 50 limit, a qualitative assessment of the infection risk should also be carried out. Here, the Federal Foreign Office is to decide with its respective expertise on site whether a region or country counts as a risk area even if the limit value is not reached. Applicable hygiene regulations and contact tracing measures should be taken into account.
Foreign Office: "From October we will return to an individual system for each country"
With regard to the travel warning, a spokeswoman for the Federal Foreign Office said: "From October we will return to an individual system for each country." Travel warnings for countries with risk areas will continue to exist. These could also be lifted if, for example, there were quarantine regulations. However, in such a case, travel is strongly advised against.
Travel association is positive
The travel association DRV described the decision as “a tentative step in the right direction”. In fact, little changes for customers and the industry. "The uncertainty remains as to when it is possible to travel again and when entrepreneurs and employees can earn something for a living again," said DRV President Norbert Fiebig.
Even after October 1, a travel warning will continue to exist for almost all countries. Fiebig demanded that only places and districts that exceeded the limit value of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) should in future be designated as risk areas and then given a travel warning – but not the rest of a region of a country. "Here the announcements of the federal government must now be promptly followed by action."
A travel warning is not a ban, but is intended to have a significant deterrent effect. However, it also has a positive side for consumers: it enables travelers to cancel package tour bookings free of charge. The travel warning is issued regardless of whether a country is classified as a risk area.