Germany requires COVID tests for unvaccinated travelers – KIRO 7 News Seattle

BERLIN – (AP) – Germany requires people entering the country who have not been vaccinated or who have recently recovered from COVID-19 to show a negative test result from Sunday.

The change decided by the cabinet on Friday applies to people aged 12 and over. It comes amid mounting concerns about infections brought back from summer vacation that are adding to the relatively low case rate in Germany. In some federal states, the school holidays end in about a week.

Unvaccinated air travelers currently have to test negative before flying to Germany, regardless of where they come from. People who travel to Germany by other means of transport must now also provide evidence of their status. Authorities are expected to conduct spot checks at land borders rather than mandating blanket checks.

People entering from countries that are listed in Germany’s highest risk category as “virus variant areas” must also submit a test if they have been vaccinated or have recently recovered. This list currently includes Brazil and South Africa, but not European countries.

Germany’s epidemic control center announced this week that more than four fifths of the infections in Germany were still in Germany, but there had been an increase in the number of infected people who were likely exposed to the virus abroad – especially in Spain and Turkey, two popular holiday travel destinations .

The infection rate in Germany is still much lower than in some other European countries, but it has increased since the low of 4.9 new weekly cases per 100,000 inhabitants on July 6th. On Friday, the past number was 16.5 new cases per 100,000 population week.

That worries officials at a time when the more contagious Delta variant is prevalent in Germany and elsewhere in Europe as vaccinations slow down. By Thursday, 51.5% of the German population had been fully vaccinated and 61.5% had received at least one vaccination dose.

The authorities are trying to arouse the Germans’ vaccination skeptics with creative means. On Friday, a vaccination center in eastern Sonnenberg offered all newcomers a free bratwurst – which, according to the MDR, had a stronger response than usual in the first few hours.

Health Minister Jens Spahn stated that “traveling with a vaccination is generally easier – those who have been vaccinated save tests and generally do not have to be in quarantine”. He added that “The vaccination offer for everyone is in the summer. We have enough vaccine. “

In addition to adjusting the entry requirements, the cabinet decided on Friday to simplify the risk class system in Germany. It reduces the number of categories from three to two – the lowest level, for which there are hardly any practical restrictions, is no longer applicable.

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