Essential Information for Residents and Visitors to Germany
The institute writes: For travelers from a region in which cases of COVID-19 (the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus) occur, but is not considered an international risk area (currently certain provinces and regions in China, Iran, Italy and South Korea ) or a particularly affected area in Germany, the following applies: If you develop a fever, cough or shortness of breath within 14 days of your return journey, you should first contact a doctor by phone. During that conversation, you should also discuss your travel itinerary and further procedures before visiting the doctor’s office. You should also avoid unnecessary contact and stay home if possible, observing the rules for coughing and sneezing and good hand hygiene.
What are the official recommendations for stocking my pantry in Germany?
Aisles with canned foods or pasta may be sparse from time to time in Germany right now, but officials say the country is not facing any true shortage of food. They also point out that people aren’t starving in Wuhan and that supermarkets and pharmacies in Italy are still open.
Regardless of the coronavirus, the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture recommends “a sufficient (emergency) supply of food for about 10 days should be available in every household.” You can find the government’s recommendations for stockpiling as well as a checklist on pages 34 and 35 of this English-language disaster-preparedness pamphlet (PDF file).
The head of the Robert Koch Institute also recommends that the elderly, in particular, should keep provisions in their pantries. “We recommend that people who belong to the risk groups, including the elderly, only buy their groceries once a week,” says RKI President Lothar Wieler. “That way they avoid possible contact with sick people.”
Is there a risk I could become subject to a quarantine?
In cases where a person tests positive for the coronavirus, they are placed under quarantine or in medical isolation by the local health office. Local health departments can also order people into self-quarantine for 14 days if they are believed to have been exposed to the novel coronavirus. Home quarantine means a person may not leave their home. These decisions by the health departments are legally binding and anyone violating the rule can be prosecuted and face a fine or up to two years in jail. Home-based quarantine means staying at home: You’re not allowed to go to work, shopping or even to go for a walk. In these cases, you should arrange for friends, family or delivery services to handle your shopping and deliver it to your door.
Given the complexity of quarantines, we will also be posting additional articles on the subject, which we will link to from here.
Icon: Der Spiegel