Germany discusses mandatory testing for returning travelers

Health Minister Spahn defends strict entry rules to Germany. “We have to push Delta back.” Anyone entering from danger zones should be in mandatory quarantine anyway – without exception.

In the debate over Germany’s stricter coronavirus travel rules, Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Soder (CSU) and German Chancellor Helge Braun have shown they are open to a commitment to more comprehensive testing for those returning from the summer holidays. “Testing obligations must be observed, they must be verified, and this applies to buses, trains and planes,” Soder stressed on Tuesday after a meeting of the Bavarian cabinet in Munich.

Bavaria will introduce a concept that will also include comprehensive hijab research to monitor compliance with the test obligation at the borders with the Czech Republic and Austria. “We don’t want to go back to where we were last year in September,” Sodder said.

Brown explained that currently unvaccinated people should be tested twice a week anyway. “Of course, this is especially true for those returning from all over the world.” The CDU politician said Tuesday in ZDF “morning magazine” that he was also open to “additional tests, possibly binding as well”. The check-in of travelers from danger zones should also be intensively checked. Regarding Delta’s most dangerous type of virus, the chancellor said: “We have to push Delta back.”

The federal and state governments were unable to agree on stricter rules for entering or returning to Germany on Monday, although several prime ministers requested it.

Submit a negative result before boarding the plane

German Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) defended this decision in NDR Info. “We now have millions of tests at a very low level,” Spahn said. This was different a year ago. In addition, there were already relatively strict entry rules in place. “Every person must show a negative test result before boarding the plane when traveling from abroad. Everyone arriving from a dangerous area must be quarantined for at least 10 days.” However, free testing is possible.

Brown noted that Germany has the strictest rules in Europe for so-called virus-changing regions such as Portugal, Great Britain or India, where the delta variant is most prevalent. Anyone returning to the Federal Republic from these countries must remain in quarantine for 14 days and cannot be tested. “This is the strictest rule in Europe,” Brown said. “Our weakness is that other countries in Europe don’t have it either.” So one feels very concerned.

Brown also rejected the suggestion that vaccinated people should be exempt from quarantine upon return from virus variant areas. With a new variant, he said, it takes a relatively long time to make sure the vaccines are working as well as prevent transmission of the virus.

(APA/DSPA)