Corona border controls: Auto industry fears production stop in Bavaria and Saxony - already on Monday!

The federal government will introduce stationary border controls at the borders of two countries from Sunday.

The background is corona mutations.

• Interior Minister Seehofer (CSU) * rejects criticism from Brussels of the border controls

  (see update from February 13, 8:05 a.m.).

• The reason for the measure is the spread of the British virus mutation *, a test is now compulsory for travelers

  (see initial

  report

  )

  .

• The day before the rules came into force, traffic was very quiet.

  (

  see update from February 13, 3:28 p.m.

  )

Update from February 14th, 4:35 p.m.:

The German auto industry fears that the controls and corona test obligation at borders have been in force since Sunday, causing considerable delivery problems - according to the VDA industry association, there is a threat of plant closings this Monday.

Due to the problems to be expected at the border crossings, automobile production will largely come to a standstill from Monday lunchtime, a spokesman for the Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) announced on Sunday in Berlin.

"The plants in Ingolstadt, Regensburg, Dingolfing, Zwickau and Leipzig are the first to be affected."

The Volkswagen Group said on Sunday afternoon that there were still no bottlenecks due to missing parts from truck border traffic, not even at the VW plant in Saxony and the Porsche plant in Leipzig.

Volkswagen Sachsen emphasized that no restrictions are expected on Monday and that these are not foreseeable at this point in time.

At Daimler, too, it was said on Sunday that no adverse effects were expected and that there could be no question of plant closings.

The auto industry demands that until sufficient test capacities have been built up at the borders, but at least for the next four days, to dispense with a medical test confirmation and to allow self-rapid tests for drivers as an alternative.

According to the VDA, truck drivers have to show a negative corona test result from the last 48 hours.

This must be confirmed by a doctor and be available in three languages.

"We understand that vigorous measures are taken, but this new test requirement for truck drivers cannot be implemented at such short notice," said the VDA spokesman. 

Corona controls at Germany's borders: More than 500 travelers turned away in a few hours

Update from February 14th, 1:51 p.m

.: Interim

balance sheet of

the first twelve hours of the new entry restrictions due to corona mutants

(see our first report)

: In Bavaria on the borders with the Czech Republic and Tyrol (Austria) more than 1700 people were checked - in more than 530 cases they were refused entry.

That said Karl-Heinz Blümel, head of the Federal Police Department in Munich,

according to

the

dpa

.

You can find an overview of the new entry rules under this link.

Corona border controls: Federal police sound the alarm because of insufficient equipment

Update from February 13, 3:28 p.m.:

The day before the stricter entry rules came into force on Saturday, the Bavarian border crossings were extremely quiet, reports the dpa.

It was much less busy than usual on Saturdays, said a spokesman for the federal police in Passau.

Commuters are also rarely on the move.

"But there are many inquiries from citizens who are unsure and want to know what will happen next."

According to the federal police, every single vehicle is expected to be checked from Sunday onwards due to border controls.

Even those who fall under the exception

rules (see update from February 13, 8:05 a.m.)

have to show a negative corona test and first go into quarantine in Germany.

The obligation to test had been introduced before the new entry rules.

The Federal Police had also set up provisional stations on the important branch lines for control purposes.

The police union (GdP) criticized that the federal police were barely equipped for such a mission.

“The technical equipment of the Federal Police leaves a lot to be desired.

There is a lack of container offices, toilet vehicles and large tents to be able to carry out the controls, ”said the chairman of the GdP district of the Federal Police, Andreas Roßkopf, of the

Rheinische Post.

The federal police are not well enough staffed for border controls either.

There is a risk that those familiar with the area will bypass the controls on field and forest paths.

Seehofer on border controls: "The EU Commission should support us"

Update from February 13th, 8:05 am

: “

That

's enough!

The EU Commission has made enough mistakes in procuring vaccines in the last few months ”: Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer

again sharply

rejects criticism from Brussels of border controls

(see previous update)

along the Czech and Austrian borders.

The CSU politician told the

Bild

newspaper: "The EU Commission should support us and not throw clubs between our legs with cheap advice."

As the Federal Ministry of the Interior announced on Friday evening, from Sunday onwards only Germans, foreigners with residence and right of residence in Germany, seasonal agricultural workers and health workers will be allowed to enter from the Czech Republic and large parts of the Austrian state of Tyrol.

Spouses, registered partners, underage children and parents of underage children are therefore also allowed to come, but only if they cross the border together with the German relative.

Truck drivers and other transport personnel in freight transport are also exempt from the ban.

In addition, entry for urgent humanitarian reasons - such as a death - should be allowed.

Border controls because of Corona: Sharp criticism from Tyrol because of commuters

Tyrolean governor Günther Platter was outraged that there should be no exceptions for commuters.

This would make work impossible for thousands of Tyroleans who commute to work in Bavaria, he explained.

Even people living in Germany who work in Tyrol would therefore have to go into quarantine on their return journey in Bavaria.

“This would mean that cross-border joint work and management in the border regions would almost come to a standstill, which cannot be in Germany's interest.

We expect - as demanded by the European Commission - that Germany will create appropriate exemptions here, ”explained Platter.

+

Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (archive photo) has had enough of criticism of the border controls in the corona pandemic.

© Kay Nietfeld / dpa

Corona border closings: Seehofer opposes "admonitions" from Brussels

Update from February 12th, 7.30 p.m .:

Among other things, the border closings by the federal government are showing the first effect in rail traffic - Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) has meanwhile protested against “warnings” from the EU Commission in view of the entry restrictions for the Czech Republic and Tyrol.

"Health protection has top priority," said Seehofer on Friday in Berlin.

"Admonitions from Brussels do not help." The infection process in Germany has been slowed down.

"But in our neighborhood we are seeing a worrying development in virus mutations."

The EU Commission itself points out that stricter rules are permissible in these cases.

"I firmly reject the Commission's request to allow more exceptions," emphasized Seehofer.

"We will not stand idly by as the virus mutation spills over to us."

Seehofer reacted to statements made by a spokesman for the EU Commission on Friday.

He pointed out that the EU states had agreed on joint recommendations on travel.

All member countries are expected to follow suit.

Germany is called upon to at least exempt essential journeys and cross-border commuters from the restrictions. Seehofer emphasized that border controls in the heart of Europe are painful, "but there is currently no other way to stop the virus."

Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) made a similar statement.

+

To contain the corona mutations: Federal government introduces border controls

© Bernd März / dpa

Corona in Germany: First borders closed - Prime Minister does not rule out further steps

Update from February 12, 11.55 a.m

.: To contain the mutated coronavirus variants, the chairman of the conference of interior ministers, Thomas Strobl (CDU), considers border closings like in spring to be possible.

The border closings are necessary as a "last resort when it comes to protecting life and limb", the Baden-Württemberg politician told the newspapers of the

Funke media group

.

"If a region is declared a high-risk or virus mutation area, certain measures and rules take effect - and they have to be monitored with the necessary consistency".

The Saarland Prime Minister Tobias Hans (CDU) agrees with his party colleague.

Compared to

RTL / ntv

, the CDU politician does not

rule out

border closings with the neighboring countries France and Luxembourg: "If there are blatant differences between the incidences, then we will have no choice".

With regard to commuters, however, there will be no “barriers”, emphasizes Hans.

Corona measure: Federal government decides new entry restrictions and border controls

Update from February 11th, 7:32 p.m

.: Now it's official.

After the mutated coronavirus had spread in the Czech Republic and parts of Austria, the federal government decided on new entry restrictions and border controls.

According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the Czech Republic and Tyrol were classified as so-called virus mutation areas on Thursday.

Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) decided to introduce temporary border controls at the borders with the Czech Republic as well as the internal border controls with Austria that have existed since the refugee crisis, a spokesman said.

The federal government is currently coordinating with all partners involved, "especially on possible exceptions" and will soon provide more detailed information.

Corona: border tight?

Seehofer and Merkel probably agree - entry freeze for two neighboring countries planned

Initial notification

: Berlin - The federal government wants to impose an entry ban from the Czech Republic and Tyrol.

Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer * confirmed this to the

Süddeutsche Zeitung

on Thursday

.

"The Free State of Bavaria and the Free State of Saxony today asked the federal government to classify Tyrol and the border areas of the Czech Republic as virus mutation areas * and to carry out stationary border controls," Seehofer told the newspaper. "We will probably decide that." so tuned.

The measures could correspond to the entry bans from the UK and are currently being voted on, according to the report.

Seehofer announced that “probably on Sunday night” the measures will come into force.

Are the borders closed from Sunday?

Tyrol and the Czech Republic show increased activity of the mutation

In Tyrol, as in the Czech Republic, increased activity of the coronavirus * mutations had been detected in the past few days.

In Austria, there are already stricter entry and exit rules for Tyroleans.

In the Czech Republic, the mutation is particularly widespread in the border areas with Saxony.

In the afternoon, the auto industry criticized the possible tightening of entry regulations.

"Our industry is dependent on the daily deliveries to the plants in Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and many other countries in Southern and Eastern Europe," said the President of the Association of the German Automotive Industry (VDA), Hildegard Müller on Thursday.

“If deliveries are interrupted, most of the plants here in Germany will be shut down for a short time.

Border control to Austria and Tyrol: Söder announces mandatory testing

As an alternative to border closings, the association proposed "to guarantee delivery traffic and containment of the virus mutant by checking test and registration requirements for all drivers".

Saxony had previously announced a significant restriction in commuter traffic in view of the drastic Corona numbers in the Czech border areas.

Should Tyrol and areas of the Czech Republic be declared a mutation area, the Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder announced on Thursday afternoon that there would be stationary controls at the borders.

Entry to Bavaria would then only be possible without exception with a negative corona test *, which could then no longer be made up in Bavaria.

"This can significantly improve our security," said Söder.

Video: Söder is considering closing borders with Austria and the Czech Republic

Commuters from the Czech Republic have had to show a negative Corona * test result when entering Bavaria since the end of January, which is no longer than 48 hours old.

The Czech Republic announced that it would seal off three border districts from the outside world from Friday.

The districts of Cheb (Eger) and Sokolov (Falkenau) on the border with Bavaria and Trutnov (Trautenau) in the border triangle with Poland and Saxony are affected.

(fmü / dpa)

* Merkur.de is part of the Ippen digital network.

List of rubric lists: © Bernd von Jutrczenka / dpa