Coronavirus: Germany partially shuts borders with 5 countries

Germany on Monday became the latest country in Europe to restrict movement across its borders in a push to stem the spread of the coronavirus. The measures were announced on Sunday by Interior Minister Horst Seehofer and went into effect at 8:00am local time (07:00 UTC).

DW’s Bernd Riegert is at the German-French border near Saarbrücken. “Police are asking people where they are going, and why they are entering Germany,” he said. “But there are no facilities here due to the fact the border has been open for the last 25 years and the controls are very makeshift.”

Read more: Follow all the latest developments in our rolling coverage

Which crossings are affected?

The border closures will affect crossings in Austria, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland and Denmark. 

But the German government’s restrictions will not affect the flow of goods and commerce. Border crossing for commuters will remain possible, Seehofer said on Sunday.

Additionally, Germans who are currently in any of the neighboring nations have the right to cross the border to return home. The same rules apply to foreign nationals who hold a German residence permit.

Read more: Coronavirus: Is Germany doing enough to slow the outbreak?

• How is coronavirus affecting life in Germany?

  Food donations drop

  Panic-buying has left empty shelves in supermarkets — and food banks. With Germans snapping up canned goods and toilet paper to weather the outbreak, stores have fewer supplies left over to donate to the needy, said Jochen Brühl, head of Tafel Deutschland, which supports more than 1.5 million people with surplus groceries and other donations. Brühl encouraged those who had overreacted to donate.

• How is coronavirus affecting life in Germany?

  Bundesliga suspended

  After playing one match behind closed doors, the Bundesliga has suspended its season until at least April 2. The Germany football league had considered playing matches behind closed doors until Paderborn’s coach Steffen Baumgart and defender Luca Kilian tested positive for COVID-19.

• How is coronavirus affecting life in Germany?

  Cultural cancellations

  Cultural life has also taken a hit, with major fairs and trade shows canceled or postponed. Among the casualties were the Leipzig Book Fair and the Musikmesse Frankfurt, Europe’s biggest music trade fair. Numerous clubs, galleries and museums have closed across the country, and the gala award show for the annual German film and television award, the Goldene Kamera, has been moved to November.

• How is coronavirus affecting life in Germany?

  Not the ‘Wuhan flu’

  The Chinese origin of the virus has led to an increase in xenophobic sentiment in the places worst hit by the outbreak. Asian restaurants and stores — not just Chinese — have reported empty tables in countries hard hit by the pandemic, and people with Asian features have experienced discrimination. At a recent Bundesliga game in Leipzig, a group of Japanese fans was ejected from the stadium.

• How is coronavirus affecting life in Germany?

  Flights grounded

  German airline Lufthansa has massively reduced its flight capacity as business and personal travel is cut back. The flagship carrier is now seeking state aid, according to a report from Germany business newspaper Handelsblatt. Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr will be attending a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, according to government sources.

• How is coronavirus affecting life in Germany?

  Car production crippled

  Car plants in China have been shut down since January, and major German automakers like Volkswagen and Daimler have said both sales and production have been hit by the epidemic. And with many automakers sourcing electric car parts from China, work at plants in Germany has also hit a stumbling block. Berlin has said it plans to financially support companies suffering coronavirus losses.

• How is coronavirus affecting life in Germany?

  Fewer tourists

  “The consequences for the German tourism sector are serious,” warned Guido Zöllick, head of the German Hotel and Restaurant Association. Already by the second week of March, 76.1% of members had reported a sharp decrease in bookings and a drop in revenue. The German parliament has banned tourists from visiting the glass dome of the Reichstag building until further notice.

• How is coronavirus affecting life in Germany?

  Border checks

  In an effort to prevent further spread, Germany has closed its borders with France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria and Denmark. Authorities in Poland and the Czech Republic had already begun spot checks, measuring the temperature of travelers crossing main road borders out of Germany.

• How is coronavirus affecting life in Germany?

  School closures

  Preschools and primary schools across Germany have shut. The closures have affected more than 2.2 million children up to age 16 countrywide, according to Germany’s Federal Statistical Office. German television stations have adjusted their programming in response to the school closures.

  Author: Martin Kuebler

Travel warning

Berlin has discouraged its citizens from traveling in general, urging them to abstain from leaving the country at this moment.

”We currently advise against nonessential travel abroad,” Foreign Minister Heiko Maas wrote on Twitter. 

Maas warned that Germans who travel abroad at this time run the risk of getting stuck in foreign countries and may not be able to return home, as other nations have moved to impose strict rules on freedom of movement.

What other measures has Germany taken?

Germany’s border closures come after a weekend in which regional state governments across the country implemented social distancing rules, such as canceling events and encouraging bars and restaurants to close.

In nearly all the federal states, schools and daycare facility closures went into effect on Monday. National rail operator Deutsche Bahn announced over the weekend that it was cutting regional services due to a lack of passengers.

jcg/rt (dpa, AFP)

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