BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany is changing its entry rules for travellers from China and can in future require at the least a rapid coronavirus test to enter the country, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said on Thursday.
There may even be random checks upon entry for any coronavirus variants in addition to expanded monitoring of wastewater, he said in an announcement.
The steps are in keeping with recommendations by European Union government officials released on Wednesday evening.
“Europe has found a joint response to the pandemic situation in China. That is precisely what we because the federal government have been working towards,” said Lauterbach.
China plans to ease travel restrictions on Sunday, despite a wave of recent infections which has left Chinese hospitals and funeral houses overwhelmed.
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Officials on the Frankfurt airport have already been monitoring wastewater, a health ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Alexander Ratz, Writing by Miranda Murray, editing by Kirsti Knolle and Paul Carrel)
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