The White House has published the details of the new entry rules, which have now been somewhat relaxed in view of the advanced corona vaccinations. It was already clear beforehand: From November 8th, foreigners can re-enter the USA if they are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus with internationally recognized preparations. Vaccines that have received approval or emergency approval from the US FDA or the World Health Organization (WHO) would be accepted, the White House announced. This currently applies to the preparations from Biontech / Pfizer, Astrazeneca, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, Sinopharm and Sinovac.
Travelers would have to prove their vaccination status to the respective airline before boarding a plane to the United States, it said. A complete vaccination against the coronavirus is a prerequisite. According to this, people are considered fully vaccinated at least two weeks after receiving their last required injection. The White House emphasized that a combination of two different vaccines would also be accepted here – provided the preparations were approved by the FDA or the WHO.
There are only a few exceptions to the vaccination requirement for international travelers, for example for children or people who cannot be vaccinated for health reasons. US citizens are exempt from the vaccination requirements for entry anyway. According to the US government, travelers must generally present a negative corona test no longer than three days old in addition to their vaccination certificate. For unvaccinated persons who fall under the permitted exemptions, the test must not be older than one day. The airlines would also have to keep the contact information of passengers so that they can be notified of any corona cases, it said.
The easing comes after more than a year and a half of widespread entry bans for people from numerous countries, including residents of the EU and the UK. The then US President Donald Trump had ordered an entry freeze for foreigners from large parts of Europe in March 2020, at the beginning of the corona pandemic. Entry from the Schengen area, Great Britain and Ireland was prohibited with a few exceptions. The USA also imposed extensive entry bans on foreigners from India, China, Brazil, South Africa and Iran because of the pandemic and rigorously maintained them for many months.
The EU, on the other hand, had already asked its member states in June to gradually lift restrictions on travelers from the USA and several other countries. Germany then again allowed entries from the USA, among others, also for holidaymakers. This means that Americans could re-enter Germany from June 20 if they could prove a vaccination, a survived Covid disease or a negative Covid test.
Germany and other EU states had also hoped for a relaxation in return from Washington, but had to wait a long time. That caused some frustration among Europeans. The extensive entry ban has so far not only separated families and friends. It also plagued business and tourism. In September, the US government finally announced that it would allow international travelers to enter the country on a large scale again from the beginning of November, provided they were vaccinated. The White House initially left many details open. They have now been delivered. (10/25/2021)
Stiko boss rejects Kimmich’s criticism
The chairman of the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko), Thomas Mertens, has rejected the concerns of national soccer player Joshua Kimmich because of the lack of long-term studies on vaccines. Bayern professional Kimmich admitted on Saturday that he had not yet been vaccinated against Corona. He had “a few personal concerns, especially about the lack of long-term studies”.
When a vaccine is released for use in humans, there are accompanying studies that examine exactly whether serious side effects can occur when using it, Mertens said in an interview with the German Press Agency. “You have to consider that seven billion doses of people have now been vaccinated with Covid-19 vaccine,” he said. “It is clear that there can be no ten-year observational studies when a vaccine is used for almost a year.” This applies not only to every other vaccine that is used for the first time, but also to every new drug.
“In addition to the approval studies, we know from the accompanying studies that there were only a few side effects, all of which occurred quite a short time after the vaccination,” said the Stiko boss. There is a consensus in science that side effects occurring late after a vaccination “do not occur or were an extremely rare rarity with individual vaccines”.
The federal government is still hoping for a decision by national soccer player Joshua Kimmich for a corona vaccination and has referred to comprehensive information. All questions are of course justified, said government spokesman Steffen Seibert. However, there are “clear and convincing answers” from national and international experts on aspects such as the type and effect of the vaccines or possible consequences of the vaccination.
He therefore hopes “that Joshua Kimmich lets all this information work on him again and then maybe can decide in favor of the vaccination,” said Seibert. “Because as someone that millions look at, he would then be a role model.” (25.10.2021)
Spahn: “Epidemic situation” with Corona can expire
Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) believes that the so-called epidemic situation of national scope in the corona pandemic should expire – despite great criticism of this attitude. In the ZDF “Heute-Journal” he said on Sunday: “The state of emergency, established by the Bundestag, can, in my opinion, be ended because four out of five adults are vaccinated.”
This topic has been controversial for days, also in view of the currently increasing number of infections in Germany. Critics fear a “patchwork quilt” of measures and regulations if the “epidemic situation of national scope” expires. The Robert Koch Institute had given the number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants and week on Monday as 110.1.
Spahn said that the end of the epidemic situation on a national level would not mean that the pandemic would be declared over. “Like many others, I keep saying that we still need precautionary measures in autumn and winter, especially 3 G – vaccinated, recovered, tested – indoors, especially medical protective masks, AHA rules, in buses and trains, in retail . “
A change in the law would make it possible for the federal states and local authorities to take these measures independently of the state of emergency. “I also expressly support that,” said Spahn. He also strongly promotes the fact that there are special protective measures in schools and care facilities, for example. Not everything is as it was before Corona. “We are now in a state of particular caution where certain protective measures continue to apply.”
At the end of August, the Bundestag extended the “epidemic situation of national importance” for a further three months. It expires automatically if it is not renewed by Parliament. The “epidemic situation” gives federal and state governments powers to issue ordinances on corona measures such as mask requirements, distance and contact restrictions or the procurement of vaccines. (25.10.2021)
Seven-day incidence increases further to 110.1
The seven-day incidence in Germany has reached a value of 110.1. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) gave the number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants and week on Monday morning as 110.1. For comparison: the previous day the value was 106.3, a week ago it was 74.4. The health authorities in Germany reported 6573 new corona infections to the RKI within one day. According to the new information, 17 deaths were recorded across Germany within 24 hours.
The number of corona patients admitted to clinics per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days – the most important parameter for a possible tightening of the corona restrictions – was given by the RKI on Friday at 2.68 (Thursday 2.45). No figures will be released on the weekend. With the indicator it must be taken into account that hospital admissions are sometimes reported with delay. A nationwide threshold, from when the situation can be viewed critically, is not provided for the incidence of hospitalization, among other things because of large regional differences. The previous high was around 15.5 around Christmas time. (10/25/2021)
Croatia and Bulgaria upgraded to high risk areas
With Croatia and Bulgaria, the federal government will classify two other EU countries as corona high-risk areas from Sunday. Anyone who is not fully vaccinated or has recovered and is traveling from a high-risk area has to be in quarantine for ten days and can only get rid of it after five days with a negative test.
So far Romania, Lithuania and Slovenia were the only Member States of the European Union to which this applied. Around 70 countries around the world are wholly or partially on the RKI’s risk list. In addition to Croatia and Bulgaria, Cameroon, Singapore and the Republic of the Congo will also be joining on Sunday. Kenya, Kosovo, Iraq and Honduras will be deleted.
Countries and regions with a particularly high risk of infection are classified as high-risk areas. But not only the infection numbers are decisive for this. Other criteria are the speed at which the virus is spreading, the burden on the health system or a lack of data on the corona situation. (October 24, 2021)
British government rules out another lockdown
Despite the rapidly increasing corona numbers, the British government has ruled out a new lockdown to contain the pandemic. “Thanks to the vaccines, we are in a very different situation than we were a year ago,” said British Treasury Secretary Rishi Sunak in an interview with the Times. There are a number of possible measures against the spread of the virus in winter, “but these options do not include lockdowns or other significant economic restrictions.”
In the event of a worsening corona situation in England, the government provides for a so-called Plan B, which, however, only includes light measures such as reintroducing the mask requirement or the recommendation to work from home again. Despite recently around 50,000 new infections per day and a sharp increase in corona deaths, the London government does not yet want to implement Plan B itself. Since mid-July there have been virtually no corona measures in England.
The immunologist Peter Openshaw, who also sits on a government advisory body, warned in a BBC interview of another “lockdown Christmas”. Unless restrictions are imposed immediately, the situation will inevitably develop dramatically. (23.10.2021)