Germany: Authorities tighten domestic COVID-19 restrictions as of April 24 /update 43

Event

Authorities have tightened domestic measures intended to combat the spread of COVID-19 as of April 24 amid high rates of infection. From this date, districts where the seven-day incidence rate of new infections is greater than 100 people per 100,000 inhabitants, for three days in a row, must implement the following restrictions:

A nightly 22:00-05:00 curfew is in force, during which time individuals may only leave their homes for essential purposes; individual walking or jogging is permitted until 00:01.
A household may meet with one individual from outside their household; no other gatherings are permitted.
Catering establishments, cultural sites, and entertainment venues must close.
Nonessential shops and businesses must close; in areas where the incidence rate is below 150 per 100,000 inhabitants, shops can permit individual appointments provided the customer has a negative COVID-19 test.
Individuals must work from home where possible.
Schools must return to distance learning where incidence rates exceed 165 per 100,000.

As of April 24, around 354 out of 412 German districts have a seven-day incidence rate greater than 100,000; district-level incidence rates can be found here. In areas where the incidence rate is lower than this threshold, previous restrictions apply with slight variations between regions. Generally, gatherings are limited to five people, and many nonessential businesses and services are closed. Authorities require individuals to wear facemasks with a filtering facepiece protection class of at least 2 (FFP2) on public transport and in stores and public offices nationwide.

International Entry Restrictions
Authorities previously extended an existing ban on direct passenger transport with "virus-variant" areas - locations deemed to carry an increased risk of infection from a variant strain of COVID-19 - until at least April 28. As of April 24, Brazil, Moselle in France, and several southern African countries, including South Africa, remain designated virus-variant areas. Entry from these areas is limited to German nationals and residents, as well as certain essential workers. All permitted travelers from these areas must present proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within the previous 48 hours on arrival. Individuals not traveling for essential work are required to self-isolate for 14 days. Border officials are conducting random checks on private vehicles entering the country from virus-variant areas that share a border with Germany.

Authorities have designated various countries and regions as high incidence, risk, or virus variant depending on local disease activity. For a full English-language list of locations designated by the German government as virus-variant, risk, and high-incidence areas, click here.

Most travel from outside the EEA, with the exception of that from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand, is prohibited. Exemptions are in place for EU nationals or residents and their family members, individuals carrying out essential work, or individuals traveling for urgent reasons. Travelers who have spent any time in a high-incidence area or risk area in the previous 10 days must possess proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within the 48 hours prior to arrival and self-isolate for 10 days; in some regions, individuals are able to end isolation early by taking a second test no sooner than five days after arrival. Exceptions are in place for individuals in transit, transport workers, and cross-border commuters. Since March 28, all travelers arriving in Germany by air must present a negative result from a COVID-19 test taken within the previous 48 hours; this also applies to individuals in transit.

Authorities could ease, tighten, or otherwise amend restrictions with little-to-no notice based on disease activity over the coming weeks.

Advice

Follow all official instructions. Abide by national health and safety measures. Reconfirm all travel arrangements. Consider delaying traveling if experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, as they may prompt increased scrutiny and delays. Liaise with trusted contacts for further updates and guidance. Maintain contact with your diplomatic representation. Ensure contingency plans account for further disruptive measures or extensions of current restrictions.