Corona wave in China: mandatory test for entry into Germany

Other EU countries had already imposed them, and now Germany is following suit. For travelers from China, a corona test is also mandatory here. The background is the many cases – and probably also China’s information policy.

Germany will also introduce a test requirement for travelers from China due to the corona wave there. This was announced by Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach.

Germany’s entry regulation will be changed at short notice, travelers from China will need at least one rapid antigen test when traveling to Germany, the SPD politician said. In addition, random tests would be carried out upon entry “to identify variants of the virus”.

Previously, several other EU countries had introduced a corresponding test requirement, after an attempt to make it mandatory across the EU failed. In other countries, such as Italy or France, this decision had already been made. After Germany, Austria, Sweden and Belgium are now also following the EU recommendation on mandatory corona tests.

The German aviation industry is now awaiting specific regulations to implement the new corona test requirement for passengers from China. The corresponding infrastructure for water testing is available at Frankfurt Airport, a spokesman for the operator Fraport said. Special ground handling vehicles supply the aircraft with water and dispose of the waste water, which is also examined.

The ADV airport association on Thursday welcomed the fact that passengers should be tested before departure in China and not just upon arrival at a European airport.

“The committee does not have the political power to issue an obligation,” Tobias Reckmann, ARD Brussels, on EU recommendations for people entering China

Tagesschau 12:00, 5.1.2023

The only “strong” recommendation from the EU

The EU had only recommended that its member countries require travelers from China to undergo a negative corona test before leaving. “Member states are urged to make a negative Covid-19 test mandatory for all passengers departing from China for member states,” the EU Council presidency announced yesterday.

Prior to the EU recommendation, the aviation industry had been highly critical of the new tests. The international airline association IATA, in particular, had doubted the need. It is very disappointing to see measures that have proved ineffective over the past three years being reflexively reintroduced, IATA chief Willie Walsh said on Wednesday.

China largely lifted its tough coronavirus measures in December. Since then, the number of infections has increased rapidly. However, the exact dates are not known as Chinese authorities publish little information. European Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides has called on the People’s Republic to share data on the current situation in a transparent way.