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The government is now introducing mandatory PCR testing for travel returnees from Spain, the Netherlands and Cyprus.
This was announced by Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein (Greens) on the sidelines of a press event in Wels on Saturday. For the time being, the testing obligation only applies to returnees who arrive via direct flight from Spain, Cyprus or the Netherlands and who are not either fully immunized or can show a negative PCR test.
PCR test must be taken at the airport at the latest
In future, anyone arriving from Spain, the Netherlands or Cyprus by direct flight will have to present a PCR test – the exact date is still being agreed. Fully vaccinated persons and recovered persons with at least one vaccination are exempt. With the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, one prick is sufficient. Those who cannot present a PCR test should do so at the airport. Free testing is offered for this purpose. Quarantine is only required if the result is positive. If you refuse to take the test, you could face fines of up to 1,450 euros.
Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein (Greens) had repeatedly spoken out in favor of mandatory PCR testing for vacation returnees, because just under one-third of Corona infections are traced to this group. He considers this a “sensible option,” Mückstein had stressed in an APA interview on Friday. However, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) was cautious in this regard, referring to the administrability of such controls.
“One third of new infections are due to travel”
“Around one third of new infections are due to travel, and numerous infections are spread by travelers returning home. Therefore, the federal government is turning the screw a little tighter in this area,” Mückstein said Saturday. “In doing so, we are curbing the rapid spread of the virus and protecting those individuals who are currently unable to get vaccinated.” He stressed, however, that vaccinated people are 90 percent protected from severe courses. Therefore, he sees no need to test them.
The EU recommends travel restrictions if a country has a 14-day incidence of more than 75 and the delta variant is prevalent, the minister said. However, he said he was also in favor of including hospital and intensive care bed occupancy; incidence alone was not enough.
Tourism Minister Elisabeth Köstinger (ÖVP) stressed that safety comes first. “We are doing everything we can to avoid travel warnings. That’s why we are now creating mandatory PCR testing upon entry via domestic airports for countries that are under special observation in terms of infection incidence.” This, he said, is intended to “break infection chains as quickly as possible among travelers returning home and vacation visitors.”
Germany declares Spain and Netherlands high-risk areas
The German government had declared all of Spain and the Netherlands a high-risk area on Friday because of high Corona infection rates in the pandemic. This imposes a ten-day quarantine requirement for travelers who have not been vaccinated or recovered from Corona for up to six months. In the case of high-risk areas, a negative test presented in a neighboring country can only exempt from the quarantine obligation after five days.
–source: vienna.at/picture: unsplash.com
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