15th of July: After the openings on Phuket, a model project for vaccinated tourists is now also starting on Thailand’s second largest island, Ko Samui. You can go on vacation there without quarantine, but are bound by strict conditions. For example, they must have been in their home countries in the 21 days before their departure, have a negative PCR test and have themselves tested several times while on vacation. Proof of special health insurance is also required. The project is limited to certain hotels that have to be booked in advance and whose premises, unlike on Phuket, cannot be left for the first three days. Until the end of the first week, only certain regions of the island are open to holidaymakers; they are only allowed to move freely from the second week. Fully vaccinated people from 69 countries, including Germany, are admitted. The initiatives to revitalize tourism are not without controversy in the country: Thailand is experiencing the most violent corona wave to date, especially in the capital Bangkok, the number of infections is very high.
Federal government is planning new entry rules
July 13th: The rules for entering Germany are to be standardized. According to SZ information, it is being discussed that every person arriving from abroad must be vaccinated, recovered or tested and must present proof of this upon request. So far this only applies to air travelers. This would have an impact especially after a stay in a country with a low incidence such as Austria or Italy. Until now, it has been possible to return to Germany from there by car, bus or train without a vaccination, test or recovery certificate.
The categorization as a risk area could be omitted in the future, according to the Ministry of Health. Only high incidence areas and virus variant areas would then be shown. This has long been the case: returnees from high-incidence areas who are not vaccinated have to be in quarantine for ten days, but can test themselves after five days. When returning from virus variant areas, it is not possible to shorten the quarantine, not even for those who have been vaccinated.
Indonesia tightened entry rules
5th July: Due to the ever increasing number of new corona infections, Indonesia is tightening the rules for travelers from abroad. From now on, both Indonesian citizens and foreigners must prove a full vaccination against the virus before entering the country. In addition, travelers would now have to be in quarantine for eight days instead of the previous five days, said Ganip Warsito, head of the national Corona task force. However, the borders would not be closed, stressed Deputy Foreign Minister Mahendra Siregar. “International travel is still allowed, but we are tightening the measures.”
Most recently, the Red Cross had warned of a collapse of the health system in the island nation. The country has been reporting record levels of over 25,000 new infections for days.
Greece tightened corona measures in ferry traffic
5th July: New corona rules will apply on Greek ferries from this Monday. At the start of the journey, travelers must present at least one negative corona rapid test that is not older than 48 hours. A PCR test no older than 72 hours or proof of complete vaccination or recovery are also valid. The reason for the measures is the increase in new corona infections. The Greek health authority has reported more than 700 new corona cases every day in the past few days, while in the previous week it was between 200 and 400 per day.
The government is worried about the particularly contagious Delta variant of the virus, which has been detected in Crete, among other places. Greece had lifted most of the corona measures in the past few weeks because the number of cases was low. The country is currently not considered a high-risk area by the Federal Foreign Office.
Travel warnings lifted for more than 80 countries
July 1: “The time for blanket assessments must be over,” explains Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD): On July 1, after more than a year, the federal government lifted the travel warning for tourist trips to corona risk areas. According to the current status, this applies in whole or in part to more than 80 countries worldwide, including, for example, Turkey and holiday regions in Spain and Croatia.
From tourist trips in “simple” risk areas with a seven-day incidence above 50 and below 200, it is now only “discouraged”. In the case of countries and regions of the EU that are not classified as risk areas, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, in view of the ongoing pandemic, only “special caution” is requested.
The lifting of the travel warning primarily has consequences in terms of travel law: A package tour can usually be canceled if a travel warning is issued – and this was not foreseeable at the time of booking. Some international health insurances do not pay if there is a travel warning.
To the existing Test obligations for travelers returning However, nothing is currently changing: Anyone returning to Germany by plane must always be tested for a Covid infection in advance. After a vacation in a risk area, travelers would actually have to be in quarantine, but can circumvent this with a test after returning. Vaccinated and convalescents are exempt from the obligation to test, but not from the requirement to register electronically. The stricter rules after a stay in a high incidence or virus variant area also remain in force.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania relaxes the rules
15th June: So far, every three days had to be tested to see who was vacationing in a hotel in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. That is now changing: In future, a test that is no longer than 24 hours old will only have to be presented for entry into the northeast, and the obligation to test during the stay will no longer apply, announced Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD). A comparable rule already applies to holiday apartments. Completely vaccinated and recovered are completely liberated. For certain services such as indoor catering, the obligation to test should initially remain in place. Hotel guests are allowed to eat in a restaurant in their accommodation without a test.
Morocco waives testing for vaccinated people
14th June: From June 15, the North African country wants to let tourists re-enter. In the case of vaccinated people, contrary to the original announcement, a negative PCR test is now dispensed with, as the Moroccan tourist office announced. Air and ferry traffic to Europe will initially only be started to a limited extent. Public life in Morocco continues to be restricted, the Foreign Office warns against unnecessary tourist trips. The country is classified as a risk area.
Free corona tests for vacationers in Austria
May 18th: From next week, Austria will also be offering free corona tests for foreign guests in order to stimulate tourism. This possibility will exist in public test streets, pharmacies or directly in hotels or inns, said Tourism Minister Elisabeth Köstinger (ÖVP) in Vienna. Every host, every hotel, every business can offer self-tests for guests. This should also enable spontaneous restaurant visits – in this case an on-site test only applies for the duration of the stay in the restaurant.
“It is up to the local operator to decide whether to offer these tests,” said Köstinger. The system of entry tests and other security requirements have proven to be very effective. According to scientific studies, there has not been a single case of infection in the model region of Vorarlberg, in which the gastronomy has been open with access tests since March, according to the minister. As in the previous year, employees in the catering and hotel industries were given access to free PCR tests to ensure the safety of guests.
In Austria, after seven months of lockdown, gastronomy, hotels, culture and many sports facilities will open on May 19. At the same time, many countries – including Germany – do not require quarantine when entering the country. However, those entering the country must have been tested, vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19. For guests from regions with virus variants and for high incidence areas, stricter rules apply. If a test cannot be presented, it must be taken in Austria within 24 hours. Electronic registration is also required before each entry. The seven-day incidence in Austria is currently 65 – and thus below that of Germany with 79.