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Against the backdrop of an impending tightening of the German Crown’s travel warnings, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) met with Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder on Friday. After a working meeting at the German customs office in Bad Reichenhall at the Walserberg border crossing, they both emphasized the importance of open borders. However, the long-awaited go-ahead regarding the expected quarantine obligation for returning German vacationers did not come today.
- Coronavirus: You can see the current situation in Germany in our diagrams at the end of the article.
- Video: Söder met briefly at the Walserberg border crossing
Both Kurz and Söder today referred to the growing number of infections not only in much of Europe, but also on both sides of the border. “This not only has effects on health, but also on the economy and the labor market,” said the chancellor. “Open borders are extremely important for the functioning of the internal market.” Whether it’s for travelers, business travelers, or the transportation industry: closing the border would have huge negative effects. “Borders must remain open,” Söder stressed.
In view of considerations about a mandatory five-day quarantine for tourists in Germany, who are particularly feared in the tourism industry, the Bavarian Prime Minister said today that a decision on the quarantine regulation could be made next week. Naturally, this is a federal matter, not a Bavarian one. However, there should be no reason for too much optimism in Austria, Kurz said on the sidelines of today’s meeting. The country’s tourist areas would work hard to reduce the number of infections and enable safe winter tourism with good concepts.
“Travel warnings are a big problem here,” the chancellor said. “Many of our tourist areas have few or no corona cases.” Good regional differentiation through the Robert Koch Institute would help the local tourism industry. Infection figures in cities tend to be higher than in rural regions where vacationers go. Söder said today that the classification according to risk areas in Germany is based solely on objective numbers and criteria. But you could imagine a kind of traffic light regulation so that decisions about affected regions are not made overnight without warning.
At the same time, both Kurz and Söder today demanded discipline from the citizens of Austria and Bavaria, especially in the private sphere. “Private parties and gatherings are contagious,” Kurz emphasized, appealing to caution and distance in private space. Currently, celebrations should be reduced as much as possible. “We don’t want to spoil the game,” Söder said. “But given the risk, you can have fun with a little less partying.”
The Bavarian Prime Minister today also advocated for European solutions, for example in developing a vaccination strategy when a vaccine is available.
By the way, Kurz and his team underwent a corona test on Thursday to be able to travel from Vienna to Bavaria without the need for quarantine.
