Germany closes borders to travelers from five countries today

(Patria) - Germany is restricting entry to its territory today, by land, sea or air, for travelers coming from five countries severely affected by various strains of COVID-19, the government announced today.

The decision, which is currently valid until February 17, applies to Great Britain, Ireland, Brazil, Portugal, and South Africa with the aim of "protecting the German population," the German Ministry of Health announced.

- The goal of this regulation is to limit the spread of new strains of the virus - the Ministry of Health explained.

There are certain exceptions to this measure, namely for German citizens living in these countries, citizens of these countries residing in Germany, transit passengers, or for the flow of goods, transport for medical purposes, the document states.

The German government is introducing these entry restrictions itself, independently of its EU partners who could not agree on a unified approach to this issue.