It was but a matter of time, but it seems Germany is imposing additional requirements on passengers arriving from the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.
Germany has closed the whole of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as Covid 19 risk area from 24th October. This means that the German Government is recommending against non-essential travel to the UK from Germany.
The full advice states
Due to the high number of infections, there are currently warnings against unnecessary tourist trips to the regions of North West, North East, East Midlands and West Midlands, Yorkshire and The Humber in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar.
From 24 October 2020, this will apply to the entire United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Gibraltar. Exceptions are the other overseas territories, the Channel Islands (Guernsey, Jersey) and the Isle of Man.
The move was announced by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DE, EN via Google Translate)
Those planning to enter Germany will have to quarantine on arrival and complete a free, mandatory PCR test when entering from a risk area as designated by the Robert Koch Institute (such as the UK). New rues are coming in, meaning anyone returning to Germany from a risk zone has to go into a mandatory quarantine for 14 days. After five days the person affected can take a free coronavirus test and if it is negative, the quarantine period can be ended.
Details in German and in English
Other places affected
It’s not just the UK – with the Robert Koch Institute adding many countries moving into Risk area: These include:
- Austria: the provinces Salzburg, Oberösterreich, Niederösterreich, Burgenland and Steiermark are considered as additional risk areas.
- Bulgaria: the provinces Razgrad, Sofia City und Sliven are considered as additional risk areas.
- Croatia: the counties Karlovac, Osijek-Baranja, Zagreb, Varaždin and Bjelovar-Bilogora are considered as additional risk areas.
- Estonia: the region Jogeva is considered as a risk area.
- Hungary: the counties Heves, Zala and Somogy are considered as additional risk areas.
- Ireland: the complete country is considered as a risk area.
- Italy: the regions Valle d’Aosta, Umbria, Lombardia, Piemonte, Toskana, Veneto, Lazio, Abrruzo, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Emilia-Romagna, Sardinien and the autonomous province Bolzano-South Tyrol are considered as additional risk areas.
- Liechtenstein: the complete country is considered as a risk area. Poland: the complete country is considered as a risk area
- Slovenia: the regions Posavska and Goriška are considered as additional risk areas
- Sweden: the provinces Jönköping and Östergötland are considered as additional risk areas.
- Switzerland: the complete country is considered as a risk area.
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: the complete country United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Gibraltar is considered as a risk area. Excluded are further British Overseas Territories, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands (Guernsey, Jersey).
However, The Canary Islands in Spain and the region Ida-Viru in Estonia is no longer considered as risk areas.
The new changes go into effect on 24th October 2020.
The list at https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/InfAZ/N/Neuartiges_Coronavirus/Transport/Archiv_Risikogebiete/Risikogebiete_22102020_en.pdf?__blob=publicationFile (EN)
Expect Travel Corridors to tighten and more testing
With this move, Germany is now tightening entry into the country for arrivals from the UK – and rightly so (as they’ve seemed to use the same numbers that Office of National Statistics publish). The major highlight, however, is that a free PCR-COVID-19 test is mandatory on arrival in an attempt to control outbreaks.
That – is to be welcomed and something other countries might want to take a look at implementing.
As for the travel corridors – travel corridors are only any good if they work both ways – i.e. no requirement to quarantine at either end. With such a requirement now existing, Germany will vanish from such a list, even though the UK is happy to welcome visitors from the country.
Although that could change later today when HM Government announces their changes.
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