Federal police officers check arriving passengers on a flight from Portugal at Frankfurt Airport
Germany is easing tough restrictions on travel from Britain, Portugal and some other countries that were imposed because of the rise of the more contagious delta virus variant.
Germany’s national center for disease control, the Robert Koch Institute, said late Monday that Britain, Portugal, Russia, India and Nepal would be removed from the country’s highest risk category of “virus type zones” effective Wednesday. They will move into the second-highest category of “high-incidence areas.”
The UK was in the top coronavirus risk category since 23 May, and was joined last Tuesday by Russia and Portugal, one of Germany’s partners in the European Union.
Airlines and others are largely restricted to transporting German citizens and residents from “virus isolated areas”, and those arriving must spend 14 days in quarantine at home.
However, people coming from “high incidence areas” can avoid quarantine if they can prove that they have been fully vaccinated or that they have recovered from COVID-19. Others can reduce the mandatory 10-day quarantine by testing negative after five days. Transport is no longer restricted.
Officials have said the listing will be reviewed as the proportion of infections caused by the Delta variant rises in Germany. Although the total number of cases is very low, more than half of the new cases are now believed to be due to delta.
Chancellor Angela Merkel indicated during her visit to Britain on Friday that restrictions on travel from Britain would be eased soon.
Eleven countries will remain on Germany’s “virus variant region” list for now: Botswana, Brazil, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Uruguay.
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