Germany toughens rules for travel from Spain, Netherlands

Germany is listing Spain and the Netherlands as “high-incidence areas.”

BERLIN -- Germany is listing Spain and the Netherlands as “high-incidence areas,” meaning that most people arriving from those countries who aren’t fully vaccinated will have to go into quarantine from next week. The national disease control center, the Robert Koch Institute, said Friday that the change will take effect on Tuesday. The change of status in the middle of the summer travel season will inconvenience some people traveling from Spain, a hugely popular tourist destination for Germans, and likely put off more would-be vacationers. Spain and the Netherlands were already on a list of “risk areas,” the lowest of Germany’s three COVID-19 risk categories, but that had barely any practical effect since anyone arriving from such areas can avoid quarantine by proving they have tested negative.