There are no longer contact restrictions for non-vaccinated people in any area – but caution is still requested. While the FFP2 mask requirement in retail has fallen, it still applies to everyone over the age of 14 in local public transport. The FFP2 mask requirement also remains in place in health facilities and medical practices. In addition, entrepreneurs and restaurateurs can exercise their domiciliary rights at events or in general in their companies, shops and restaurants and demand that an FFP2 mask be worn.
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People who have been infected with COVID-19 usually have to go into domestic isolation for five days. Isolation may only be ended after five days if those affected have been symptom-free for at least 48 hours. The vaccination status of the sick person has no impact on the obligation to isolate. It is strongly recommended that you self-test or have a rapid antigen test performed daily for five days after the end of the obligation to isolate and continue to isolate yourself until you have a negative test result.
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At the moment, experts are assuming that after a corona infection, people who are ill are protected from being infected again for around six weeks – i.e. for a rather short period of time. Our immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 viruses is likely to become broader over the years as a result of vaccinations and repeated infections.
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Tourist overnight stays are allowed, the 3G rule has been dropped everywhere. If you do not want to arrive despite booking, the agreed cancellation conditions apply. Operators can make use of their domiciliary rights, for example with a mask requirement. An overview of rules in the states gives a page of the federal government.
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The Federal Foreign Office provides information on its website for each travel country about the local regulations entry requirements. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) also publishes a current listwhich lists all countries classified as virus variant areas.
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For flights that take off or land in Germany, masks are still mandatory – just like in train traffic within Germany. In many EU countries, on the other hand, the obligation to wear masks on airplanes was lifted on the recommendation of the EU authorities. An overview of the current regulations in the individual EU countries is given European Union website.
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No, the yellow vaccination card is sufficient as proof, the EU vaccination certificate as a digital certificate is primarily used to make traveling within the EU easier. In some countries, however, only digital proof is accepted for access to public spaces such as restaurants or museums because it can be checked more easily. The most important part of the certificate, which is valid throughout the EU, is the QR code, which proves vaccination, recovery or a negative test. The digital COVID certificate is available in paper form in medical practices and pharmacies and can be saved digitally on the smartphone.
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Without a booster vaccination, EU vaccination certificates lose their validity nine months (270 days) after the primary vaccination. This regulation is relevant for many people for the summer vacation, because after this period they are treated as unvaccinated when crossing borders without a booster vaccination. This means that in many EU countries they currently need a current negative test or even have to be quarantined. How long the basic immunization is recognized in the respective countries – for example for restaurant visits or events – can differ.
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People entering Germany no longer need proof that they have been vaccinated, recovered or tested, provided they are not from a virus variant area. Persons who have stayed in a virus variant area in the last ten days before entering the Federal Republic of Germany are still obliged to comply with the existing strict registration, verification and quarantine regulations. The current Entry regulations are in an overview of the Federal Ministry of Health.
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Anyone who books a holiday should study the contract conditions carefully, especially with regard to the cancellation options. The travel companies have adjusted their general terms and conditions (GTC) accordingly since the beginning of the corona pandemic. Many tour operators are now offering free cancellation or rebooking options up to a few weeks before the start of the trip. However, customers should always check the specific conditions carefully, as the fine print sometimes lists exceptions.
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Viruses are constantly mutating in the human body. Once inside the cell, the virus multiplies and quickly makes millions of copies of itself. When the genetic information is reproduced, copying errors occur again and again, i.e. the smallest changes or mutations. If one of these changes contributes to the virus being able to enter human cells more easily and thus becoming more contagious, this mutation will prevail in the long term.
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The EU health authority ECDC sees no signs at this time that BA.4 and BA.5 leads to a more severe course of the disease compared to previous Omikron lines. However, there are indications that the infections are taking place deeper in the bronchi again, and no longer just in the nose and throat area. That is more delicate and must be observed, says the immunologist Reinhold Förster from the Hannover Medical School (MHH).
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With the omicron variants BA.1 and BA.2, those infected rarely suffer from coughing, with the new subtype BA.5, coughing – similar to bronchitis – seems to occur more frequently as a symptom according to the current state of knowledge.
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According to experts, young, healthy people are usually well protected against a severe course with a triple vaccination. The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) recommends that over 70-year-olds, nursing home residents, people with immunodeficiency and medical staff boost the immune system again with a fourth vaccination. Then they would also have good protection against serious illness for a while.
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Yes, the currently dominant variant in particular also leads to increased infections among people with booster vaccinations. This is because the vaccines vaccinated to date have been designed for the so-called wild type of SARS-CoV-2 and not its variants. The manufacturers are working on adapting them accordingly. In order to minimize the risk of possibly transmitting the virus to other people unnoticed, the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) also recommends that vaccinated people comply with the protective measures (everyday masks, hygiene rules, keep your distance, ventilation). However, the risk of a severe course of the disease is significantly reduced for those who have been vaccinated three or four times.
Further information
