The German Robert Koch Institute, in conjunction with the responsible German ministries for the regions Split-Dalmatia and Sibenik-Knin, has issued a partial travel warning due to a sharp rise in new infections. A COVID 19 test is mandatory for tourists from Germany returning home from these regions with immediate effect, i.e. from 20 August 2020. This can be carried out free of charge at numerous motorway service stations and airports in Germany. Through the travel warning, the Split and Sibenik regions, which are particularly popular with tourists, will receive the receipt for partially unbridled party tourism, which has not been sufficiently prevented by the Croatian government.
Germany issues partial travel warning
The RKI website states: “Classification as a risk area is based on a joint analysis and decision by the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Construction and Home Affairs.
Classification as a risk area is based on a two-stage assessment. First, it is determined in which states/regions there have been more than 50 newly infected persons per 100,000 inhabitants in the last seven days. In a second step, qualitative criteria are used to determine whether states/regions that nominally fall below the above-mentioned threshold value are nevertheless at risk of an increased risk of infection.
For evaluation step 2, the Federal Foreign Office in particular provides qualitative reports on the situation on site based on the reports of the German missions abroad and, if applicable, the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Ministry of the Interior, for Building and Homeland Affairs, which also illuminate the measures taken to contain the corona pandemic. Decisive for the evaluation are in particular the infection figures and the type of outbreak (local or nationwide), test capacities and tests carried out per inhabitant as well as measures taken in the states to contain the infection (hygiene regulations, contact tracing, etc.).
Croatia receives receipt in the form of a travel warning for party tourism
In the last few days before the travel warning, the SeaHelp editorial team repeatedly received information from tourists from Germany, in which there was talk of closing certain clubs in the Sibenik and Split region, but the club operators then simply switched to party boats without the authorities doing anything about it. This may well have been the last “warning shot” to Croatia’s government to shut down the club scene permanently before Germany, too, issues a travel warning for the whole of Croatia. This would bring tourism to a virtual standstill in the off-season.
Slovenia puts Croatia returnees on red list
Pressure towards Croatia to finally monitor the hygiene and distance rules and the obligation to wear masks in all regions on a sustainable basis is also being built up by other European nations. Great Britain has currently put Croatia on the “red list”. According to initial media reports, Slovenia also wants to reintroduce compulsory quarantine or a COVID 19 test for Croatian returnees as of Thursday.
Further strong increase in corona hotspots
In the last 24 hours, 219 new cases have been registered in Croatia, so that the number of currently sick (active cases) in Croatia is now 1,520. Among them there are 122 patients in hospital, 11 of whom are connected to a ventilator. In the last 24 hours 1653 persons have been tested, as the figures of the internet portal “koronavirus.hr” show.
Regulations for German tourists
For German tourists who have spent their holidays in the risk areas of Croatia, the following applies with immediate effect due to this travel warning:
Anyone entering the Federal Republic of Germany and staying in a risk area within 14 days prior to entry is obliged to go directly home or to another suitable accommodation after entry and to isolate himself there for 14 days. This does not apply if someone has only passed through a risk area and has not stayed there. The responsible health authority monitors the quarantine obligation.
The regulation on the quarantine obligation is issued by the federal states on their own responsibility. Therefore, please ask on the website of the federal state in which you live or will be accommodated what the quarantine regulations there actually look like.
It also states: A negative test result in most countries means that home quarantine is no longer necessary. In certain countries, however, a repeat test after a few days is necessary.
No matter what the test result is: If typical COVID-19 symptoms (shortness of breath, newly occurring cough, fever or loss of smell or taste) occur within 14 days of entry from a risk area, the responsible health authority must be informed immediately. Unclear symptoms should – even if the test was negative – be clarified immediately with a doctor.
However, those who enter from another region (not a risk area) can also be tested. Within 72 hours after entry, the test is free of charge for all those entering from abroad.
Covid-19 tests in Germany after travel warning
Test possibilities after the travel warning in Germany for return travellers exist at numerous motorway service stations and airports. How the situation will develop for German tourists who are currently staying in Croatia or are planning a holiday in Croatia can be followed up here. But before the corona panic breaks out again: The number of new infections is also increasing in other European countries, so the following still applies: Those who follow the corona rules can spend their holidays in Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Austria or Germany without hesitation – on their own boat, charter boat or in hotels, apartments and campsites.
Constantly updated table of COVID-19 infections in Croatia
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[wppress-covid19 display=”chart” country=”Croatia” custom_title=”yes” custom_title_text=”Croatia – Current total number of infected” width=”720″ height=”500″ responsive=”yes” show_daily_change=”no” show_confirmed=”no” show_deaths=”no” show_recovered=”no” show_active=”yes” active_legend=”current cases” padding=”0″ border_radius=”0″ background_color=”#00000000″ title_color=”#333333″ active_color=”#e38b4f” title_font_size=”18″ /]
Update 02.09.2020:
More about the topic:
Because of severe COVID-19 re-infections:
Austria issues travel warning for Croatia
