Germany decided to ease restrictions on travelers from the UK, Portugal, India, Nepal, and Russia, downgrading these countries from “areas of variant concern” to “high incidence areas.”
Foreign travelers have been previously barred from entering Germany, while German residents returning from these countries had to quarantine for 14 days upon their arrival. According to the new rules, however, fully vaccinated travelers from these countries can now enter Germany without quarantine, whereas everyone else will still have to self-isolate, with an option to end their quarantine early with a negative Covid-19 test.
Just lately, Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa criticized Germany’s travel ban on Portuguese citizens, calling these rules “particularly restrictive.” In the past, Chancellor Angela Merkel chided Portugal for allowing travelers from the UK to enter the country, where the Delta variant is currently surging.
However, now it seems Merkel has moved to let in British travelers, even though the Delta variant continues to rise in daily cases. The UK recorded 32,551 new cases just yesterday — its highest level since February. Yet this hasn’t stopped British Prime Minister Boris Johnson from announcing that England will soon move to lift all of its COVID-19 restrictions.
