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COVID-19

EXPLAINED: Germany’s rules and exceptions for Covid quarantine

A few months back, the German Bundesrat signed off on a new law to change the duration of quarantine for people infected with Covid and their contacts. Here's everything you need to know about the latest rules and what to do if you think you might have the virus.

Covid testing station in Hamburg
People wait in line for a Covid test in Hamburg. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Christian Charisius

What’s the difference between self-isolation and quarantine? 

Quarantine and self-isolation are often used interchangeably to describe the practice of avoiding contact with other people in order to reduce the spread of Covid. There is, however, an important difference.

Quarantine is a pre-emptive measure designed to shield people who aren’t ill from those who may be infectious. It normally occurs if there’s a chance you’ve been infected with Covid – say, if a close contact has got the virus – but you haven’t necessarily taken a test or developed symptoms. It’s also a key part of the government’s strategy for dealing with foreign travellers who may be infectious.

At the moment, unvaccinated travellers arriving from a ‘high risk’ area have to quarantine for up to ten days, with the option to end this after five days with a negative test. All travellers from a virus variant area must quarantine for two weeks, with no option of shortening it. 

Meanwhile, self-isolation is what happens if you have a proven infection and want to avoid transmitting the virus to other people. 

When do I have to quarantine? 

Aside from the travel situations listed above, you may need to quarantine if you have had contact with someone who has Covid during the window of time when they are infectious.

According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the infectious period stretches from two days before the onset of symptoms to 14 days after symptoms appear. In asymptomatic cases, this window is two days before the test was taken and 14 days afterwards. 

If you receive a red alert on your CoronaWarn app because you’ve unknowingly had contact with an infected person, contact your GP or local health authority to find out the next steps. Generally they will tell you to do a PCR test to see if you have an infection.

If you’re a close contact person of someone who’s infected with Covid – i.e. your partner or child – get in touch with your local health authority to find out what your next steps should be. You can find out which health authority you need with this tool from the Robert Koch Institute. 

READ ALSO: What to do if you get a red alert on Germany’s Covid warning app

Are there any exceptions?

Yes. People who have a booster jab are exempted from the quarantine requirement if they’ve had contact with an infected person. The same applies to people who finished their full course of jabs in the past three months, or have recovered from Covid in the last three months. 

Everyone who tests positive for Covid must self-isolate, however, regardless of their vaccination or recovery status. 

When do I need to self-isolate?

Official government advice says that you should stay home if you have any cold symptoms (regardless of the type) or a positive self- or rapid-test result, though this isn’t mandated by law. 

Pop up Covid testing station

A man gets a test at a mobile Covid testing centre in Hannover. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Julian Stratenschulte

If you get a positive result on a rapid test, the best thing to do is get a PCR test at a state testing centre or with your GP. The Ministry of Health advise people to call ahead before turning up at the surgery to find out what the procedure is. Many GPs currently run special Covid drop-ins, so they may ask you to come at a specific time of day to avoid infecting other patients. 

If you need to contact someone outside the normal office hours of the practice, you can also call the medical on-call service under the nationwide standardised telephone number 116 117 or get in touch with your local public health office

Once you have a positive PCR test result, you will be required by law to self-isolate at home – unless you have a severe course of illness and need hospital treatment. 

READ ALSO: Germany’s new quarantine rules to be signed into law ‘by Saturday’

How long do I have to quarantine for?

This is one of the major changes that Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) has brought in. Previously, a number of different rules and durations applied depending on vaccination status and the virus variant in question. This has now been massively simplified

Whether you are in quarantine or self-isolating, the period of time you must avoid contact with others has now been standardised at 10 days. This can be shortened to seven days with a negative PCR or “high-quality” antigen test. 

What rules do I need to follow in quarantine? 

The main principle is, of course, to avoid contact with others as much as possible. This means staying at home, remaining in a separate room from the rest of your household and taking meals separately. When moving around the house (if you live with others), it’s also advisable to wear a mask. 

For deliveries of groceries or meals, you should aim for a contactless delivery in which the courier leaves your shopping or order outside your door. You should generally only leave the house for medical treatment (i.e. if you start feeling very ill and need to go to hospital) or your test on the seventh day. 

If you need advice, you can consult the online Covid Guide, call the medical advice line on 116 117 or get in touch with your doctor’s surgery. In an emergency, call 112. 

READ ALSO: Fact check: Does Germany really have the world’s strictest Covid measures?

What else do I need to know? 

Slightly different rules apply to children and health workers. For children and young people who’ve had contact with an infected person, quarantine can be ended after five days (as opposed to seven) with a negative antigen or PCR test. 

Meanwhile, medical and care workers who are self-isolating after a proven infection must be symptom-free for 48 hours in order to end their quarantine on the seventh day, as well as having a negative PCR test. 

When do the new rules come into force?

Germany’s 16 states are bringing in the changes now they have been signed off at the federal level, so they should be in force soon. Again, double check with your local authority if you have any questions. 

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HEALTH

Could there be a new wave of Covid-19 in Germany this autumn?

It’s back again: amid sinking temperatures, the incidence of Covid-19 has been slowly rising in Germany. But is this enough to merit worrying about the virus?

Could there be a new wave of Covid-19 in Germany this autumn?

More people donning face masks in supermarkets, friends cancelling plans last minute due to getting sick with Covid-19. We might have seen some of those familiar reminders recently that the coronavirus is still around, but could there really be a resurgence of the virus like we experienced during the pandemic years?

According to virologists, the answer seems to be ‘maybe’: since July, the number of people newly infected with Covid-19 has been slowly rising from a very low level.

According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), nine people per 100,000 inhabitants became newly infected in Germany last week. A year ago, there were only around 270 reported cases.

Various Corona variants are currently on the loose in the country. According to the RKI,  the EG.5 (also called Eris) and XBB.1.16 lines were each detected in the week ending September 3rd with a share of just under 23 percent. 

The highly mutated variant BA.2.86 (Pirola), which is currently under observation by the World Health Organisation (WHO), also arrived in the country this week, according to RKI. 

High number of unreported case

The RKI epidemiologists also warned about a high number of unreported cases since hardly any testing is done. They pointed out that almost half of all registered sewage treatment plants report an increasing viral load in wastewater tests.

The number of hospital admissions has also increased slightly, but are still a far cry from the occupation rate amid the pandemic. Last week it was two per 100,000 inhabitants. In the intensive care units, only 1.2 percent of all beds are occupied by Covid-19 patients.

Still, a good three-quarters (76.4 percent) of people in Germany have been vaccinated at least twice and thus have basic immunity, reported RKI. 

Since Monday, doctors’ offices have been vaccinating with the adapted vaccine from Biontech/Pfizer, available to anyone over 12 years old, with a vaccine for small children set to be released the following week and one for those between 5 and 11 to come out October 2nd.

But Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has so far only recommended that people over 60 and those with pre-existing conditions get vaccinated.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Who should get a Covid jab this autumn in Germany?

“The pandemic is over, the virus remains,” he said. “We cannot predict the course of coming waves of corona, but it is clear that older people and people with pre-existing conditions remain at higher risk of becoming severely ill from Covid-19”

The RKI also recommended that people with a cold voluntarily wear a mask. Anyone exhibiting cough, cold, sore throat or other symptoms of a respiratory illness should voluntarily stay at home for three to five days and take regular corona self-tests. 

However, further measures such as contact restrictions are not necessary, he said.

One of many diseases

As of this autumn, Covid-19 could be one of many respiratory diseases. As with influenza, there are no longer absolute infection figures for coronavirus.

Saarbrücken pharmacist Thorsten Lehr told German broadcaster ZDF that self-protection through vaccinations, wearing a mask and getting tested when symptoms appear are prerequisites for surviving the Covid autumn well. 

Only a new, more aggressive mutation could completely turn the game around, he added.

On April 7th of this year, Germany removed the last of its over two-year long coronavirus restrictions, including mask-wearing in some public places.

READ ALSO: German doctors recommend Covid-19 self-tests amid new variant

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