For weeks now, only those who have an important reason can enter Germany. The police are now making an exception so that children who live across the border can stop by on Mother's Day.
Berlin (dpa) - In order to enable visits on Mother's Day, the strict rules imposed due to the corona pandemic have been somewhat relaxed for one day at the borders. Federal Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer (CSU) approves a corresponding decision by the federal police.
The visit of her own mother, who lives in Germany, will be recognized as a "valid reason for entry" this Sunday, the federal police said. However, the information provided during the entry control should be "credible and verifiable". The officials deployed at the border were informed and "will give mouth-and-nose protective masks on site as gifts for the corresponding mothers," said a spokesman.
For weeks now, only those who can show an important reason have been allowed to enter Germany. These are, for example, truck drivers, members of the medical profession or commuters from the border region. There are also stationary border controls at the borders with Denmark, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Austria.
Seehofer had ordered the controls in mid-March to slow the spread of Covid-19 lung disease in Germany. At other border sections - such as the border with Belgium and the Netherlands - controls in the 30-kilometer area along the border have been strengthened. Some politicians in Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Luxembourg have been calling for an end to the controls for days, which, according to the current status, should continue until next Friday. Since mid-March, over 100,000 refusals to enter have been issued. Seehofer sees border controls as one reason for the successes that have been achieved since then in containing the pandemic.
Upon request, the federal police announced that the prerequisite for the special permit for Mother's Day was that the return trip should take place on the same day. A visit to a mother living abroad who is not German and who wants to visit her children living in Germany on Mother's Day is also permitted on this Sunday.
For people who enter with a special permit - including commuters - there is no obligation to quarantine for two weeks after entry. This quarantine rule also applies to travelers who cross the border at the border sections where there are no stationary controls.