Germany has admitted it could rethink its controversial red-listing of Portugal as a travel destination.
Contrary to the ‘worst case scenarios’ put forward following Germany’s effective travel ban (click here), no other countries have fallen in line.
Switzerland and Austria were cited as territories likely to do so. But as of today as the EU’s Covid Digital Certificate comes officially into force – designed to ease travel throughout the bloc – neither have so much as squeaked.
And now German health minister Jens Spahn has admitted that “it will be possible, soon, to downgrade the evaluation” made over Portugal and the United Kingdom – both classified as ‘areas of risk’ due to variants of the new coronavirus – on the basis that forecasts point to the Delta variant having an incidence in Germany of between 70% to 80% during the month of July”.
Says Expresso “for the process of revising the evaluation, the German health minister has explained it will have to be clear that the Delta variant “does not represent a problem in Germany, in respect of its capacity for contagion, resistance to the vaccines and possible evolution of serious illness”.
To this end, the country’s ministers of foreign affairs, interior administration and health will meet at the end of every week to “evaluate the evolution in all countries (of the Delta variant) and make adequate categorisation”.
The European Commission has already queried the ‘proportionality’ of Germany’s unilateral decision – stressing the bloc’s focus has been to avoid outright travel bans by instead proposing measures “like tests and quarantines”.
More on Germany’s possible change of heart is expected in the coming days.
