On 16 June 2020, Germany and Austria lifted existing travel restrictions for the EU member states, with immediate effect, free travel to the Adriatic Sea is back in force. However, there is an exception for Austrians who want to travel to Lombardy: A partial travel warning continues to exist here due to the COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2. In plain language, this means that anyone entering Austria from Italy (with the exception of Lombardy), Slovenia or Croatia does not have to go into domestic quarantine nor does he need a test to confirm that he is not suffering from corona.
Check infection figures
This should bring an end to a tiresome chapter of the COVID-19 pandemic and bring back some normality in the form of open borders. However, the situation does not seem to have been completely overcome yet, as both Germany and Austria reserve the right to review the infection figures in the individual countries and, if necessary, to reverse any relaxation already made.
Personal responsibility required
Ultimately, citizens, or rather travellers, will be given some responsibility for their own health, for it is their behaviour that will ultimately determine whether the path can continue to be followed as before or whether new restrictions will have to be imposed as a result of the all too careless handling of the new freedom.
Caution in closed rooms
Not least for this reason, there was an urgent appeal from Germany and Austria to use common sense, or as they say in Austria, to pack common sense into your holiday luggage. Skippers have a much easier time than “normal” tourists, but they too should avoid crowds of people in enclosed spaces such as restaurants, market halls or supermarkets or protect themselves with masks, hygiene and distance rules.
Hygiene Concept Croatia
In Croatia, the regained freedom is currently still being handled very calmly: On the beaches the rules of distance and hygiene are strictly monitored. More space for loungers and the disinfection of the pads show that this summer you first have to get used to it. Also in the outdoor areas of the restaurants the tables are further apart than usual.
Registration on entry Croatia – Enter Croatia
Already at the border you will be informed about the special situation: Either you register beforehand or you have to go to the border station to record the data, which can inevitably lead to waiting times. But this is not just harassment, because the Croatian state wants to know where its guests are so that it can react quickly in the event of another outbreak. For those who don’t believe it: Shortly after crossing the border, the person entering the country receives an SMS in which a warning is again issued about the dangers of the Corona virus and an emergency number is sent.
Number of vacationers in Croatia increases daily
In the last 24 hours alone until Monday, June 15 (13.00 h), 104,782 persons entered the Republic of Croatia according to the records, of which 55,319 are citizens of the Republic of Croatia and 49,463 are foreign citizens, 30% more than the day before. Of the total number of foreign citizens, 16,668 Slovenian citizens are among the most frequent new arrivals, followed by Austria with 9,488 visitors and Germany with a total of 8,239 Croatia travellers, according to the police.
Croatia: slow opening of maritime infrastructure
However, depending on local tourist traffic, service stations, repair shops, restaurants and bars are only slowly reopening, so SeaHelp recommends that before visiting such businesses, such as urgently needed waterfront service stations, you should pick up the phone.
