Germany lifts quarantine requirement for COVID-vaccinated travelers

BERLIN - The German government eased entry restrictions for travelers on Wednesday, allowing people who have been fully vaccinated or have recovered from the coronavirus to enter the country without any quarantine obligation.

From now on, vaccinated and/or recovered travelers will be "treated the same way as those who have been tested," according to the government.

With the exception of those entering Germany from "virus variant areas," such as India or Brazil, travelers who hold appropriate proof of recovery or vaccination will no longer be required to present a negative COVID-19 test result upon arrival.

The German government stressed that the "worldwide infection situation remains very dynamic." New, more infectious virus variants are emerging and their potential public health implications could not be conclusively assessed yet.

The quarantine requirement for those entering the country from high incidence areas remains in force but could be lifted earlier with a negative test result, at the earliest after five days. Excluded are those who stayed in a "virus variant area" for at least ten days before their entry into Germany.

The new coronavirus entry regulation enters into force on May 13. The countries classified as risk, high incidence or virus variant areas are listed on the website of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the federal government agency for disease control and prevention.

More than eight million people in Germany had been fully vaccinated by Monday, bringing the country's vaccination rate to 9.6 percent, according to the RKI.