Germany implements Covid-19 testing requirement for flight arrivals

Berlin (dpa) – A new requirement for people arriving at German airports to have submitted to coronavirus testing before departure went live on Tuesday.

Germany is attempting to contain a severe third wave of coronavirus infections being driven mainly by more transmissible variants of the disease.

Currently, only travellers coming from countries with particularly high infection rates must get tested before boarding.

Flight crews will not be affected by the new requirement, the ministry said. Travellers will have to bear the costs of the tests themselves.

Also on Tuesday, the German government extended land border controls to the Czech Republic for another 14 days due to the coronavirus infection rate there.

It also lifted border controls between Germany and the Austrian region of Tyrol, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said.