Germany imposes effective travel ban on Ireland, UK and South Africa from Saturday

Germany has effectively halted private travel to and from Ireland, the UK and South Africa to contain the spread of coronavirus mutations. The new regulation, applicable also to Portugal and Brazil, outlaws travel “except absolute exceptions” and comes into effect from midnight on Friday. “We have to get ahead of the situation; that means we have to make preventative decisions so the virus cannot spread further,” said German interior minister Horst Seehofer. The new rules will not affect cargo transport, transit passengers at airports, German citizens or foreign nationals who live permanently in Germany. Otherwise the new regulation will allow arrivals from the five banned countries only on health or “urgent humanitarian grounds”. Germany will review the new regulations on February 17, along with other restrictions to contain the spread of Covid-19.<br/>