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Münchner reports from the variant area

2021-11-28T15:12:15.404Z


The new virus variant scares the world. A Munich vacationer was also surprised by the Omikron outbreak - stranded in South Africa. How he's trying to get home:


The new virus variant scares the world.

A Munich vacationer was also surprised by the Omikron outbreak - stranded in South Africa.

How he's trying to get home:

They had planned their vacation for months, looking forward to sights, nature and the beginning of summer.

Munich's Stefan P. and his husband Jens K. (both 47) wanted to enjoy two and a half weeks of South Africa.

But now they have been surprised by the outbreak of the highly contagious Omikron variant on their dream vacation - and fear that they will return to Munich.

Jens K. had had a heart operation in the summer.

“The vacation should be a kind of reward,” says Stefan P. (name changed).

He doesn't want to use his real name for fear of hate speech online.

The journalist and the advertising specialist flew to Cape Town with Qatar Airways on November 11th.

“At that time, the incidence in South Africa was in the single digits, there was no travel warning,” recalls the man from Munich.

Despite the vaccination, a negative PCR test was necessary to enter South Africa.

“When we arrived in Cape Town and on the Garden Route, we felt safe: Everyone is very disciplined and wears a mask.

The temperature of the customers is measured in every store, and there are also disinfectant dispensers everywhere. "

Always new cases of the Omikron variant

Last Thursday, the first two reports of horror about the new Omikron variant were received. “When the UK imposed travel restrictions, we got nervous,” says the 47-year-old. The two of them can still see their return flight planned for Saturday afternoon on the Internet. Nevertheless, uncertainty is growing. New cases of Omicron are constantly being reported. In addition, there were more than 60 corona infected people on planes from South Africa to Amsterdam. "Of course, one wonders how high the risk of infection actually is in South Africa," says P.

The situation worsened on Saturday morning: Qatar Airways canceled the return flight.

Stefan P .: “There will be no more flights with Qatar for the next two weeks!

How do we get home now? ”They hurriedly booked replacement flights with other lines: First with a low-cost airline from Cape Town to Johannesburg.

There the couple is scheduled to take off with Ethiopian Airlines on Monday at 4 p.m.

Stopover in the capital Addis Ababa.

P. is not quite there: "There has been civil war in Ethiopia for a year ..." That night, the onward flight to Frankfurt, planned arrival: Tuesday, 5.25 am.

Tourists in fear

Munich residents hardly ever leave the hotel room at Johannesburg Airport.

Stefan P .: "If so, then only with an FFP2 mask." The mood on the streets is mixed, he describes.

"The tourists are afraid, I don't notice any increased uncertainty among the locals."

Stefan P. and Jens K. now have to wait for the result of their PCR test, which they need for the return flight.

If the flight to Frankfurt works, both will probably travel on to Munich by train.

“We have to be quarantined there for two weeks.

But that's irrelevant at first. ”And what if the Ethiopian line cancels its flights too?

"Then we can only hope that we will come out with Lufthansa next Sunday."

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-11-28

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