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TRAVEL: Germany adds UK to ‘virus variant’ risk list

Germany on Saturday announced that the United Kingdom would be placed in its highest Covid risk category, banning tourist travel as well as tightening testing and quarantine rules.

Published: 18 December 2021 23:14 CET
Travellers queue at Berlin's airport.
Travellers queue at Berlin's airport. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Jörg Carstensen

The UK will be classified as a ‘virus variant area of concern’ from midnight on Sunday December 19th due to the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.

The move puts in place a temporary ban on almost all travellers arriving from the UK to Germany, except from its own residents. 

Travellers who are allowed to enter Germany – such as German nationals and people with residence rights – will have to quarantine for two weeks even if they are fully vaccinated, or have recently recovered from Covid. 

They also have to show a negative “up to date” PCR test before departure. Antigen tests are no longer accepted for travellers coming from Germany’s red list.  

The move is a blow to those heading home for Christmas, who will now have to cancel their plans or face the much tougher rules. 

Germany’s Health Ministry noted in the latest Robert Koch Institute risk list update: “Before departure, please be prepared for your carrier (e.g. airline) to require from you an up-to-date PCR test if you spent time in an area of variants of concern at any time in the ten days prior to entry.

“After your arrival, further PCR testing may be ordered by the health authorities at the airport or at the place of isolation/quarantine. Please be aware of the 14-day quarantine requirement, which also applies to vaccinated and recovered individuals. The duration of the 14-day quarantine may not be shortened.”

The RKI said the regions on the ‘virus variant list’ would remain there until at least January 3rd.

Other countries in Germany’s highest risk category include South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

The UK reported over 90,000 new Covid-19 infections on Saturday, setting a record for the third day in a row. This figure included 10,059 new confirmed cases of the Omicron variant.

There are estimated to be hundreds of Omicron cases in Germany, RKI boss Lothar Wieler said at a recent press conference.

READ ALSO: Germany must prepare for massive Omicron wave, says Health Minister

The ban does not apply to people on flight transfers through Germany who are not leaving the airport.

It comes after state health ministers across Germany called on the federal government to tighten the rules on travellers from the UK. 

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Member comments

    1. Denmark is an EU Member State, and also a Schengen State, while the UK is not. Travelling from the UK to the EU is not a right, but a privilege for British Citizens.

      1. So what? EU treaties allow member states to suspend open borders on a temporary basis if they have a good reason. We saw that in 2020. This decision is political expediency as much as a health concern.

        1. The possibility of re-introducing internal border controls is not mentioned in the “EU treaties”, but in Articles 25 to 35 of the Schengen Borders Code.

          In addition, the possibility of re-introducing border controls does not imply what border guards may decide at such controlled border. This is still subject to the additional rules, and differences are to be made between Union citizens and others.

          The possibility to restrict free movement of EU citizens for public health reasons (under strict conditions) is contained in Article 6 of Directive 2004/38/EC. However, different to the time at the start of the pandemic, EU states now coordinate and substantiate such legal provisions, e.g. by Recommendation (EU) 2020/912, as amended. The goal is to keep internal borders open as far as possible, and to restrict free movement of EU citizens as reluctantly as possible.

          The United Kingdom is not an EU Member State, and their citizens are not Union Citizens (cf. Article 20 TFEU) any more. The border to the United Kingdom is an external border. All considerations pertaining to internal borders and Union citizens do not apply to the United Kingdom and its citizens. The mere fact that United Kingdom citizens mostly do not require a visa to enter Schengen States does not mean that they have any right to enter, unless admitted.

          This is why I said that travelling to the EU is a privilege, and not a right, of British Citizens. This is surely politically determined – by the United Kingdom, which had decided to leave the European Union.

  2. Where is that information from that the PCR test should be no more than 48 hours old? Federal Foreign Office says 72

    1. Hi there, that was the previous rule for ‘virus variant areas’ but we are double checking this. Thank you for flagging up.

  3. So what? EU treaties allow member states to suspend open borders on a temporary basis if they have a good reason. We saw that in 2020. Its political isn’t and not entirely health based. Anyway,

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TRAVEL NEWS

How can Germany fix its patchy rural transport connections?

While German cities are some of the best connected in the world, inadequate infrastructure in the countryside can create headaches for public transport users. Could new 'transfer hubs' be the answer?

Published: 18 June 2024 12:54 CEST
Updated: 22 June 2024 15:58 CEST
How can Germany fix its patchy rural transport connections?

Last year, a major survey conducted by city guides publisher Time Out crowned Berlin the city with the best public transport in the world. The extensive bus, tram and train network was praised by 97 percent of Berlin residents, who noted that transport in the German capital tended to be safe, comfortable and reliable.

But for those who travel a short distance out into Brandenburg, Berlin’s rural neighbour, the contrast couldn’t be more striking: trains stop running at 6pm, buses come every 2-3 hours and residents often face a lengthy trek to their nearest bus or train station. 

This divide was confirmed in a 2021 study by Deutsche Bahn subsidiary ioki that looked at public transport connections in Germany. Researchers found that while around 27 million people who lived in German cities had very good access to public transport, the 55 million who lived in suburban or rural areas were much more badly served.

READ ALSO: 55 million people in Germany have ‘inadequate public transport’

According to Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP), rural areas are in “urgent need” of solutions to these gaps in public transport. 

Speaking to DPA on Tuesday, the FDP politician set out his plans for local ‘transfer hubs’ that he said would encourage more car users to use public transport – even in non-urban areas.  

What exactly is a transfer hub?

A ‘transfer hub’ – or Umstiegs-Hub in German – is a place designed for travellers to switch from one mode of transport to another. As an example, Wissing mentioned easily accessible train stations with parking spaces, good bus connections, cycle paths and e-car charging ports where people could easily switch from their car to a quick commute by rail into the nearest city.

“We need more attractive transfer points in rural areas,” the Transport Minister told DPA. “The federal states could consider for themselves which locations in which regions would be best for such transfer hubs. From there, rail connections could then be offered to the metropolitan regions at regular intervals.” 

As opposed to taking “coercive” measures to force the switch from car to public transport, a “constructive approach” that considers both modes of transport would take the country further, Wissing said. 

“I believe that there is an urgent need in Germany to orientate the structures in rural areas towards more multimodal transport,” he explained. “The convenient flexibility of the car and the efficiency of the railway can be combined if the infrastructure is right.”

READ ALSO: Why (and where) Germans are choosing to go on holiday by car this year

What impact could this have?

With Germany’s transport sector repeatedly missing its climate targets, the ministry needs to find ways to reduce emissions and encourage a more widespread use of sustainable transport.

According to Wissing, this could have a much bigger impact in the countryside than it would in a city like Frankfurt or Berlin, since people in rural areas tend to travel longer distances. 

“We can achieve a situation where a commuter travels perhaps 20 or 25 kilometres to a transfer hub instead of 100 kilometres each way to work by car,” said Wissing. “That would be up to 150 kilometres less per day – a huge potential reduction in CO2.”

Bayerischer Oberlandbahn in Warngau

A regional train run by the Bayerischer Oberlandbahn stops near Warngau. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Lennart Preiss

But climate groups and transport companies have been pushing for a much more ambitious approach to expanding public transport in the countryside.

In its six-point plan for delivering good rural public transport, for example, the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) calls for rail-bus connections that run at least hourly and flexible, on-demand public transport options. 

However, Wissing said that a lack of skilled labour and low demand on rural routes would make it difficult to offer the kind of bus and train services VDV is calling for. 

“If the bus used to come every three hours and in future it will come every two hours – what kind of improvement would that be? People would stay in their cars,” he said.

READ ALSO: What to know about Deutsche Bahn’s summer service changes

Where does the Deutschlandticket come into this? 

According to the VDV, the €49 monthly travel pass, which has been valid for more than a year on local and regional transport throughout Germany, has an average of 11.2 million subscribers per month.

So far, however, it is primarily a ticket that is used in urban regions, with only 21 percent of Deutschlandticket users coming from rural areas.

According to VDV surveys, around 16 percent of Deutschlandticket users have been travelling by car less often since taking out the subscription.

Nevertheless, the shift has not yet materialised to the extent the government hoped for.

Meanwhile, federal and state transport ministers have been discussing an expansion and modernisation pact for local public transport for some time. The federal states are also calling on the federal government to increase the billions in regionalisation funds, which are used to order services from regional public transport companies.

With reporting by DPA

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