Berlin: Germany has included the United Kingdom in the high risk category amid the spread of Omicron and will introduce a temporary ban on almost all travellers arriving from the UK to Germany, the Robert Koch Institute said in a risk list update.
"The classification of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland incl. all British Overseas Territories, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands as an area of variants of concern is effective as of 20 December 2021 at 0:00 a.m. [23:00 GMT on Sunday]," the Robert Koch Institute said on Saturday.
The temporary ban will be effective until at least January 3, 2022. Travellers who are allowed to enter Germany despite the ban, such as German citizens, will be required to undergo PCR testing and will be subject to a mandatory quarantine.
"Please be aware of the 14-day quarantine requirement, which also applies to vaccinated and recovered individuals. The duration of the 14-day quarantine may not be shortened," the Robert Koch Institute said in its update.
Germany's current list of highest risk category countries includes Botswana, Eswatini, Malawi, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe, as well as South Africa, where the Omicron variant of the coronavirus emerged in November.
