In the second summer of the pandemic, the focus is again on risks from holidaymakers who come home from all over the world.
The government is working on guidelines for more tests to detect infections.
Berlin - To protect against the spread of corona after the summer vacation, vacationers have to be prepared for extended test obligations when returning to Germany.
The federal government is currently voting on a planned new regulation, as a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health said on Tuesday. Head of Department Jens Spahn (CDU) and Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) strive for the fastest possible expansion of the test obligations upon entry. The travel industry called on vacationers to get vaccinated. With a view to autumn, several federal states want consultations with the federal government as soon as possible.
A general test obligation upon entry already exists for all flight passengers.
Proof of a negative result must be made in the holiday country and presented before the start - or proof of a convalescent or fully vaccinated person.
According to Spahn and Seehofer's ideas, a test should in principle be required in the future - regardless of where and with which means of transport you come.
Anyone who is neither vaccinated nor had an infection would also have to take a test if he or she comes from Poland by car.
According to reports, stationary border controls are not part of the concept.
Extended test obligation should come quickly
Spahn had already made it clear last week that an expansion of the test requirement should come very quickly. First, the newspapers of the Funke media group reported on the subject on Tuesday. Criticism came from the opposition. Such a comprehensive expansion of the obligation to test is neither helpful in combating the pandemic nor proportionate, said the FDP health expert ChristineAschenberg-Dugnus. The focus of the mandatory test should be placed on travelers from high-risk and virus variant areas and also checked. The federal government must also advocate a European regulation instead of unilaterally pushing for tightening.
SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach told the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” (Wednesday) on the other hand: “A general compulsory test when entering Germany for anyone who is neither fully vaccinated nor recovered is very useful from a medical point of view Number of contacts generally a higher risk of becoming infected - initially regardless of the travel location and the means of transport used.
New entry regulations
On this Wednesday, a new entry regulation decided by the cabinet comes into force.
Since there was no agreement on the regulation planned by Spahn and Seehofer, the existing regulations will essentially be extended until September 10th.
There is a relief for those arriving from virus variant areas in which new, worrying forms of the virus are circulating.
So far, those who have recovered and who have been vaccinated who come back from there have to be in quarantine for 14 days.
In future, this can generally be ended prematurely if the region is no longer classified as a virus variant area during the quarantine period.
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) publishes on its website which regions the federal government declares as high-risk, high-incidence or virus variant areas with special requirements for tests and quarantine.
Since Tuesday, Spain and the Netherlands have been high incidence areas with a particularly high number of new infections.
Anyone who returns from such an area and is not fully vaccinated or recovered has to be in quarantine for ten days, but can shorten this with a negative test after five days.
Appeals to the citizens
The German Travel Association (DRV) and the Federal Association of the German Air Transport Industry (BDL) appealed to citizens to accept offers on corona vaccinations with a view to vacation. “For vaccinated people, travel planning is more reliable and traveling is easier.” Some countries reserved certain local activities exclusively for vaccinated people. "With the vaccination protection you prevent such surprises on vacation."
According to the will of several countries, the further Corona procedure after the summer holidays will soon also be discussed with Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU). Berlin's Governing Mayor Michael Müller (SPD) as chairman of the Prime Minister's Conference spoke out in favor of a consultation within the next two weeks. He would like the federal government to deal quickly with regulations for return travelers and not just take random samples at airports, for example. "The corridor to effectively counteract the current development is becoming narrower," said Müller.
Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) said in Munich that there would be a Prime Minister's conference in mid-August. "We need clear lines for this." There should be no hesitation in fighting the pandemic and the hope of "stumbling into the federal election". Söder spoke out in favor of significantly promoting vaccination for minors. The aim must be to reduce quarantine times as much as possible for schoolchildren in the new school year. dpa
