Status: 07/07/2021 1:28 a.m.
The federal government has relaxed the particularly strict travel restrictions for Great Britain, Portugal and three other countries. This means that entry to Germany from these countries is again possible for all groups of people.
The particularly strict travel restrictions for Portugal, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Russia, India and Nepal will be relaxed again from today. The five countries in which particularly contagious coronavirus variants had spread are being downgraded from virus variant areas to high incidence areas.
This means that entry into Germany is possible again for all groups of people. For those who have been completely vaccinated and those who have recovered, the quarantine obligation is no longer applicable, for everyone else it is shortened.
The purpose of the travel restrictions does not apply
The background is that the delta variant of the corona virus is already widespread in Germany. The real purpose of the drastic travel restrictions – to slow down the spread of the Delta variant – has thus largely been done.
India was classified as a virus variant area at the end of April, followed by Nepal and Great Britain in May. The EU country Portugal and Russia did not join until June 29th. Airlines, bus and train companies are not allowed to transport people from virus variant areas to Germany unless they are German citizens or have a place of residence in Germany. In addition, there is a 14-day quarantine obligation upon entry into virus variant areas – even if he or she has been fully vaccinated or has recovered.
With the downgrading to a high incidence area, the ban on transport is no longer applicable, so entry to Germany is basically possible again for all persons using all means of transport. Those who have not been vaccinated or recovered only have to be in quarantine for ten days, but can shorten it to five days with a second negative test.
Infection numbers continue to be high
The infection numbers in the five downgraded countries are still high. Since the week before last, the number of infections in Europe has been increasing. Great Britain the country with the highest numbers in Europe. Portugal has the highest numbers in the European Union after Cyprus.
With the downgrading of the five countries, the number of virus variant areas worldwide drops again from 16 to 11. The remaining countries are Brazil and Uruguay in Latin America, as well as nine countries in Africa: South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.