Germany on 30 September added Estonia’s Ida-Viru County to its list of high-risk regions and requires people who have visited Ida-Virumaa in 14 days before arriving in Germany to take a mandatory coronavirus test and self-isolate while waiting for the result.
According to the Estonian foreign ministry, current rules in Germany make it possible to not add entire countries to the list of high-risk regions, and instead include only areas with an infection rate above 50 per 100,000 inhabitants in the past seven days.
“Anyone who has been in a high-risk area in 14 days before arriving in Germany must take a mandatory coronavirus test,” the foreign ministry said. “If the test is taken on arrival in Germany (ie at the airport), self-isolation is required while waiting for the results of the test.”
The quarantine does not apply to passengers who have tested negative with a PCR test before arriving in Germany. The test must not be older than 48 hours.
Under current rules, Germany is reviewing its conditions every Wednesday. Considering the infection rate of Estonia, anyone travelling to Germany in the near future must stay informed about which regions of Estonia have been declared high-risk areas, the Estonian foreign ministry noted.Transit through Germany is permitted for citizens and residents of Estonia, but transiting passengers arriving from high-risk areas must not have symptoms and should be prepared to show proof of transit (tickets for the next leg of their journey, booking confirmations etc).
Cover: The Brandenburg Gate in the centre of the German capital, Berlin. Photo by Sten Hankewitz.
