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Strict rules for those returning to travel: this is how Spahn wants to lock out the corona mutations

2021-01-12T04:19:40.962Z


Health Minister Spahn wants to slow down the spread of the new corona mutations. In addition to compulsory testing before every departure from risk areas to Germany, his house would also like to use the passengers' mobile phones.


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Traveling in Corona times: reference to the test center at Berlin Airport BER

Photo: Paul Zinken / dpa

Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) wants to slow down the import of the two new corona mutations into Germany through strict entry rules.

On Monday, his department hurriedly sent a draft of a new ordinance to the other ministries.

This provides for a test before departure for all travelers from countries in which the two mutations are already rampant.

The strict rules should also apply to states that have a particularly high infection rate.

The paper is available to SPIEGEL.

Essentially, travelers from Great Britain, Ireland and South Africa are primarily affected by the regulation, as new and more rapidly contagious mutations of the virus are rampant in these countries.

From January 14th, passengers from these countries should only be allowed to enter Germany with a fresh negative Corona test.

The strict rule, which the airlines should check at check-in, also applies to all countries with the so-called seven-day incidence above the value of 200.

The reason for the "Ordinance on Protection Against Infection Risks Caused by Entry" is stated in the paper that "the number of infections in the Federal Republic of Germany continues to increase, particularly through travel from risk areas outside the Federal Republic of Germany."

A "nationwide uniform entry test obligation" is necessary so that "information on the infectiousness of the people entering the country is already available with the entry process".

"Uncontrolled entries from abroad" should be stopped.

Entrants must register online in advance

For many travelers who move internationally despite the current lockdown in Germany, the ordinance means more or less a general test obligation before returning to Germany.

For example, the USA currently has a seven-day incidence of 517, France 195, Italy just under 200 and Great Britain more than 600. South Africa currently reports an incidence of just under 220. But Switzerland, a direct neighbor of Germany, also has a good 270 well above the red line.

Aside from the test obligation, all travelers are obliged to register online before starting their trip to Germany.

With the data, the health authorities in Germany should be able to better control that the passengers who have entered Germany comply with the ten-day quarantine in their apartment or in a hotel.

The coercive measure can usually be shortened by another negative corona test five days after entry.

In order not to slow down the economy and professional travel operations, exceptions are built into the regulation.

For example, transit passengers, i.e. those passing through with German airlines or travelers who were only in a risk area for a flight change, should be exempted from the rules.

Likewise, hygiene regulations are issued for goods traffic, which are intended to ensure the transport of goods.

Special rules also apply to diplomats, politicians and commuters and students.

For the better implementation of the measures, Spahn also wants to make the German mobile phone providers responsible.

With a so-called »entry SMS«, all travelers who log in with German or foreign SIM cards in Germany for the first time should be made aware of the strict rules.

Similar greeting SMS are already standard in many other countries around the world.

The ordinance stipulates that these must also be free of charge for roaming customers abroad.

The regulation also makes it clear that the Minister of Health does not expect the corona crisis to end quickly.

The strict rules should apply at least until the end of March 2021.

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Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2021-01-12

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