Arrivals from France to Germany must isolate in new ‘high risk’ rules
Non-vaccinated arrivals to Germany must quarantine upon arrival and take a Covid test on day 5, as the Omicron variant continues to spread through Europe
Non-vaccinated travellers from France will be required to self-isolate u[on arrival in Germany
SibRapid / Shutterstock
France has been classed a ‘high risk’ infection zone by Germany, with non-vaccinated travellers from France to Germany now required to quarantine upon arrival.
Travellers coming from Andorra, Denmark, Norway and Lebanon will also be required to quarantine from today (Sunday, December 19), after the rules were imposed by the German health institute.
The new measures state that anyone who is not vaccinated or who has not already had Covid recently must go into quarantine upon arrival, and take a Covid test on the fifth day.
It comes as the latest figures show that France had 58,539 new cases confirmed in the past 24 hours (to December 18).
Prime Minister Jean Castex this week recommended that “everyone, whether vaccinated or not, should test themselves in the few hours” before any event or gathering, to prevent the spread of the virus, including the new variant Omicron, before Christmas.
In contrast to Germany. France has said that it will not require arrivals from the EU to take Covid tests. President Emmanuel Macron made the statement after a European Council meeting in Brussels, on Thursday, December 16.
This is in contrast to rules imposed by some other European countries such as Ireland, Portugal, Italy and Greece, where arrivals from the EU (even those who are vaccinated) must show a negative test to enter.
Read more: Covid: The 22 essential reasons for travel between UK and France
It comes as France announces that it will likely change the health pass to a ‘vaccine pass’, removing the option of a negative Covid test as a means to acquire the pass.
This would mean that full vaccination would be the only way to get a pass. The changes, if passed, are designed to combat the more-contagious Omicron variant, which Mr Castex said would likely become dominant in France in early 2022.
The plans are set to be debated in parliament in January.
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