BERLIN: Germany will impose fresh curbs on travellers from the UK starting on Sunday due to the rapid spread in Britain of the coronavirus strain first identified in India.
Travellers from the UK will have to spend two weeks in quarantine upon arrival in Germany even if they test negative for the virus, according to the foreign ministry. In addition, transport companies will only be allowed to bring German citizens back into the country.
Germany now classifies Britain as a “virus variant area,” the country’s highest risk category, following a recommendation from the Robert Koch Institute, according to the foreign ministry. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she is concerned about the spread of the B1.617.2 variant. “This variant seems to be more aggressive than the British mutation,” she said. “That means we will have to be careful.”