If you want to travel during the corona pandemic, you have to consider a few things – not only abroad, but also within Germany. What do travellers from German Corona hot-spots have to consider.
Germany is also a risk area for some countries and vacationers may have to be quarantined there after entering the country – but what about risk areas within Germany?
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) is responsible for domestic risk assessment. The basis for the classification as a risk area is the incidence, i.e. the number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in the past seven days. This value cannot be higher than 50.
Germany: Government changes classification of coronavirus danger zones in the EU
The regions affected are listed in the daily management report of the RKI. The following areas in Germany are currently affected (as of October 6, 2020):
- Berlin
- center
- Neukölln
- Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg
- Tempelhof-Schöneberg
- Hamm
- Remscheid
- District of Vechta
What rules apply if you come from a risk area and want to travel to Germany? At the moment it is still a matter of the country whether travelers from inner-German risk areas have to observe certain restrictions.
Quarantine and no overnight stays
Schleswig-Holstein has designated the above-mentioned areas as risk areas in Germany, with the exception of the Vechta district. Anyone entering from there previously had to go into quarantine for 14 days after arrival or show two negative corona tests within five days. From Friday, October 9th, it is sufficient to present a negative corona test no longer than 48 hours old in the hotel or in a holiday apartment.
When classifying risk areas, Rhineland-Palatinate is completely based on the information provided by the RKI. Travelers from these districts usually also have to be in quarantine there, but there are some exceptions, as the Ministry of Health in Mainz announced and the option to shorten the quarantine period with a negative test result.
Anyone entering Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania from a risk area must also be isolated at home. The four Berlin districts are excluded, however, as the state government considers the capital as a whole in its risk assessment.
Germany: 6 New Regulations in October. How will they affect you
Nationwide rule: Overnight ban planned
Bavaria, Hesse, Hamburg, Baden-Württemberg, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony and Saarland also comply with the RKI when it comes to risk areas within Germany.
There is no quarantine obligation for travellers there, but there may be a ban on staying in pensions and hotels. In the other countries, there are still no special rules for holidaymakers from German risk areas – but this is expected to change soon.
The federal states have decided on a ban on accommodation for holidaymakers from domestic corona risk areas. The ban applies nationwide, the German Press Agency in Berlin learned on Wednesday (October 7th, 2020) from groups of participants after a switching conference of the heads of the state chancelleries of the federal states with the head of the chancellery, Helge Braun.