Valid for mutant hotspots: Entry ban could apply from Saturday

Friday 29th January 2021

Valid for mutant hotspots
Entry ban could apply from Saturday

In order to curb the spread of coronavirus variants, the EU states agree on joint measures. But Germany does not go far enough. The federal government is therefore planning stricter entry rules – from Saturday.

The federal government has defended plans for national entry restrictions to protect against mutated coronavirus variants. In addition to the pan-European approach, it must also be examined "to what extent national measures can be taken," said government spokesman Steffen Seibert. There is talk of prohibiting entry from countries with a high incidence of the mutated variants.

According to a draft ordinance, the extensive entry ban could already apply from Saturday. The measure is limited to February 17th. Exceptions should be made for persons with residence and right of residence in Germany and for the movement of goods.

The vote in the federal government is still ongoing. A regulation is in the process of departmental coordination, said a spokeswoman for the Federal Ministry of the Interior. Interior Minister Horst Seehofer urged a rapid settlement on Thursday. Countries such as Great Britain, Ireland, Portugal, South Africa and Brazil would be affected by the restrictions, as well as Lesotho and Eswatini in southern Africa from Sunday. The new variants are particularly rampant in the countries.

Austria tightened rules for commuters

According to the draft for the cabinet, airlines as well as rail, bus or shipping companies should no longer be allowed to transport people from the aforementioned areas to Germany from Saturday. Exceptions are made not only for freight traffic and people living in Germany, but also for the transport of medical personnel, ambulance flights, the transport of transplant organs and transports for urgent humanitarian reasons. Transit passengers should also be exempted, as well as crews of aircraft and ships.

Government spokesman Seibert emphasized that the federal government continues to participate "very intensively" in the deliberations at European level. But other countries are also currently examining how they can "achieve the best possible protection for their populations". It is a "very real danger" for every country. There is also a "certain scope for national measures". For Czech cross-border commuters to Germany, the mandatory submission of a negative corona test (not older than 48 hours) has been in effect for every trip since Sunday. In Saxony, two tests per week are sufficient.

Austria also wants to tighten its entry rules. Compulsory tests are now planned for commuters upon entry, according to the draft from the Ministry of Health available to the Austrian news agency APA. You would therefore have to present a medical certificate or a test certificate that is not older than 72 hours at the border. According to reports, the rhythm of the obligation to provide evidence is still unclear. A daily medical certificate is considered unlikely. The measure should come into effect in one week at the earliest. In Austria – apart from exceptions such as commuters – all travelers have to make a voluntary quarantine.

The EU states meanwhile agreed on recommendations for stricter rules when traveling within the European Union – but fell short of the German expectations. The agreement reached by the ambassadors of the 27 EU countries concerns entry from areas with a very high number of corona infections or high spread of new virus variants. The states did not initially agree on new rules for entry from outside the EU.

The recommendations that are available to the German Press Agency now provide that the existing corona traffic light card from the EU health agency ECDC is supplemented by a further "dark red" category. This applies to high-risk areas with more than 500 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within the past two weeks. Regions are already marked green, orange or red on the map depending on the infection rate – most recently almost the entire EU was red. In the future, travelers from dark red regions will have to undergo a corona test before leaving and isolate themselves on arrival. The same is said to apply to regions in which new virus variants are spread.

Some exceptions are provided for employees in the transport sector. Cross-border commuters should also be exempted from the requirements – especially if they perform important functions. This could be a job in healthcare. If the obligation to test is adhered to, the frequency of the tests should be appropriate. If the infection situation is similar on both sides of the border, such test requirements should be dispensed with. It is also emphasized that there should be no blanket entry bans, border closings or flight bans.