Germany removes Austria from risk list

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Austria is the most popular destination for Germans, who can now head to Tyrol and Vorarlberg and return home from there without coronavirus-related restrictions. As of Sunday, the German government takes all of Austria off the list of CoV risk areas – domestic politicians are relieved.

Since November 1 of the previous year, the entire federal territory, with the exception of the communities of Jungholz and Mittelberg/Kleinwalsertal, was on the red list of the German Robert Koch Institute (RKI). Since June 6, only Tyrol and Vorarlberg were. As of Sunday, these two states are also no longer considered risk areas, the RKI announced Friday.

Anyone entering Germany from Austria by land will no longer have to observe any coronavirus-related entry restrictions. However, anyone entering Austria from Germany must continue to have a negative antigen or PCR test. Exempt from this is anyone who can prove vaccination or who has already contracted Covid-19 and recovered.

“It is very good news,” Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) said in a statement. “This is further proof of the good situation in our country,” Kurz referred to the strategy involving mass testing, a regional approach and mandatory FFP2 masks. He was “confident that with the rapid progress in vaccination, there is absolutely nothing standing in the way of a return to normality in the summer,” Kurz said.

“The German government’s decision is an important signal for the upcoming summer season in tourism,” the chancellor added. “It is especially nice that we will welcome many German guests in our country this summer.” More than a third of guest nights in Austria come from tourists from Germany. The number of overnight stays in the pre-crisis year 2019 was 57 million, according to Statistics Austria. Germany is thus the most important country of origin for Austria in both summer and winter tourism.

Platter and Wallner pleased
“The fact that Germany has announced that it will remove the Tyrol from its red list as of Sunday is very good news – also for tourism in our state,” said Tyrol’s governor Günther Platter (ÖVP). This decision is due to the positive development of new infections in Tyrol. For a few days now, the province has been showing a 7-day incidence significantly below 50, the governor said.