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Germany to ease quarantine rules for vaccinated travellers from ‘virus variant’ zones

The German government announced on Wednesday it plans to relax quarantine rules for fully vaccinated travellers arriving from 'virus variant areas of concern'.

Germany to ease quarantine rules for vaccinated travellers from 'virus variant' zones
Travellers in Frankfurt airport on July 17th. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Frank Rumpenhorst

It came as Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet extended entry regulations to Germany put in place to help control the spread of Covid-19 until at least mid-September. 

Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Wednesday that the Covid travel rules will be in place until September 10th. They were set to expire at the end of July. 

However, a change in quarantine rules will mean that soon fully vaccinated people entering from so-called ‘virus variant of concern’ zones, such as Brazil and South Africa, will not have to isolate for 14 days.

They will be able to end their quarantine early if they can prove that their vaccination protection is effective against the virus variant in the area they are travelling from.

No details have been given yet on how people will have to prove that – and how early they can shorten the quarantine period. The Local Germany will report on this when we have more information. 

READ ALSO: How Germany’s latest rules on foreign travel affect you

Travel is banned from countries classed by Germany as ‘virus variant areas of concern’. There are some exceptions, including for German citizens and residents – but currently everyone coming from these areas has to quarantine for 14 days with no option to shorten it. 

The cabinet also made it clear that if a virus variant country is downgraded to a high-incidence area while returnees are still in quarantine, the rules for high-incidence areas will apply immediately. 

That means that people will be able to end their 14-day quarantine period after five days with a negative test, and end it immediately if they can prove they are have either been vaccinated against, or recovered from, Covid. 

The German government recently downgraded five countries, including the UK and Portugal, from virus variant areas to high incidence countries after the Delta variant became widespread in Germany. 

The new quarantine rules will come into force after the old regulation expires on July 28th.

READ ALSO: Brazilian workers and students demand end to travel ban

Covid infections expected to rise

Spahn said it was necessary to extend the existing regulations after Germany saw a spike in cases after summer last year. “We learned from last summer that we have to pay attention, also when traveling,” he said.

Spahn also warned of a drastic increase in the 7-day incidence of Covid infections in Germany if the current development continues. 

He said the incidence could reach 400 infections per 100,000 people in September – and even 800 cases per 100,000 people in October.

Spahn reiterated his message from previous weeks – that the situation in autumn depends on people’s behaviour now. He urged everyone to stick to basic restrictions like wearing a mask and keeping distance. 

READ ALSO: ‘Nobody can rule out enormous fourth wave’: German schools fear new Covid restrictions

The 7-day incidence of Covid-19 infections has been rising continuously for over two weeks in Germany, and has recently slipped into double-digits. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) on Wednesday morning, the 7-day incidence was 11.4, compared with 10.9 on Tuesday.

Though still at a low level, the incidence has more than doubled since its most recent low of 4.9 on July 6th.

Spahn said consultations would be held with states to determine at what point restrictions would be introduced if needed. The situation is different today compared to last year due to the high vaccination rate, he said. 

The incidence has so far been the basis for many coronavirus restrictions in the pandemic. But in future, other factors ​​such as hospital admissions are to be taken into account more strongly.

READ ALSO: Germany to ‘focus more on Covid hospital admissions’ when deciding measures

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TRAVEL NEWS

No Easter strikes: Germany’s Lufthansa and ground staff reach pay deal

German airline giant Lufthansa and a union representing ground staff said Wednesday they had reached an agreement on pay after a lengthy dispute, averting the threat of Easter holiday strikes.

No Easter strikes: Germany's Lufthansa and ground staff reach pay deal

The deal between the carrier and the powerful Verdi union came after ground staff staged walkouts in recent months, leading to widespread disruption for air travellers.

After a series of direct pay talks failed, Lufthansa and Verdi entered arbitration this week, leading to Wednesday’s breakthrough.

Details of the deal were not immediately released.

But Lufthansa personnel chief Michael Niggemann said it was a “good compromise with substantial salary increases over the term of the agreement”.

Verdi had been seeking pay rises of 12.5 percent for the roughly 25,000 Lufthansa ground staff that it represents.

The ground staff staged their latest strike in early March, with a two-day walkout that led to the cancellation of up to 90 percent of Lufthansa’s flights. They also walked out in February.

Lufthansa cabin crew, who went on strike at major airports earlier this month, have still not reached a pay deal with the carrier.

But news outlet Spiegel reported that the airline group and the UFO union, which represents cabin crew, are due to enter arbitration after the Easter break.

The airline group earlier this month warned of the damaging impact of the wave of recent strikes, saying they would contribute to heavier losses in the first quarter compared to last year.

Lufthansa also faced a wave of strikes in 2022 by staff pushing for higher wages, leading to them winning hefty wage increases.

The group — whose carriers include Lufthansa, Eurowings, Austrian, Swiss and Brussels Airlines — had to be bailed out by the German government during the coronavirus pandemic.

But it has since bounced back strongly as travel has recovered, prompting unions to argue the airline is not passing on enough of its bumper earnings to its staff in the form of pay rises.

Wednesday’s announcement represents some more much-needed good news for employers in Europe’s top economy, who have faced a tough season of wage negotiations and strikes across many sectors.

This week, German rail operator Deutsche Bahn and union GDL struck an agreement that will see train drivers work a shorter week, ending a months-long row that caused a series of crippling strikes.

The strikes have added to an already gloomy economic picture, with the German economy shrinking 0.3 percent in 2023.

READ ALSO: ‘A difficult road’: Strike-hit German rail operator agrees to shorter work week

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