Germany is considering banning almost all inbound flights from countries affected by the COVID-19 variants, regardless of what is agreed at an EU level.
Talks are ongoing within the EU on how countries can implement further restrictions, but Germany's Interior Ministry said on Thursday that "if satisfactory measures are not put in place at EU level" the country would act at a national level.
Federal Interior Minister Seehofer had raised the possibility of cutting air traffic in Germany "to almost zero" as he suggested "drastic measures" would be needed, but on Thursday told a news conference that new measures would focus on air traffic. with the United Kingdom, Brazil, South Africa and Portugal.
"We are focusing on the mutation areas for this proposed travel restriction," he said, adding that a draft regulation would be presented to the German government on Friday.
"We are trying to determine which country is a mutation zone, which is less a political decision than a technical one," he said, indicating more countries could be added to the list.
Blocking Germany by reducing the numbers
Germany has recorded nearly 2.2 million coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic and more than 55,000 deaths.
In January it was extended until February 14 and became stricter, with people in hot spots banned from traveling more than 15km from their homes, limiting private meetings with another person from outside the home, and quarantines mandatory and testing for arrivals.
Stricter mask requirements were also imposed, with medical-grade ones made mandatory on public transport and in shops.
Daily case records were followed by record daily death tolls, reaching a high of 1,244 on January 14.
The lockdown has led to a slower increase in cases, with more than 20,000 being recorded just one since January 16.
Chancellor Angela Merkel said earlier this month: "The number of new infections has decreased. This gives us hope. But the mutation of the virus carries a great risk. Now is the time to prevent this danger."
The main concern in Germany now, as in many other countries, is to prevent the entry and spread of the variants of COVID-19 that have been identified as more transmissible.
Already present in some German regions, the UK variant, for example, is thought to be up to 70% more transmissible and scientists have said it could be around 30% more lethal, but there is still uncertainty about that number.
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