Facing the alarming spread of the coronavirus, Germany re-introduced checks on the borders with Austria, France, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Denmark starting Monday morning.
The move was announced by Interior Minister Horst Seehofer late Sunday.
โThe spread of the coronavirus is progressing quickly and aggressively… one of the most important measures will be to cut off the chain of infection,โ Seehofer said.
As of Sunday, Germany has over 5,800 confirmed coronavirus cases, including 13 deaths. The number of those infected surged by over 1,000 on Saturday.
Peopleย โwithout a significant reason to travel,โย as well as those suspected of being infected with the disease wonโt be able to cross the borders. The flow of cargo and cross-border commuters, however, will not be affected by the restrictions. German citizens and permanent residents will be allowed to return to the country as well.
Seehofer stressed that the travel restrictions are temporary and will be reevaluatedย โfrom time to time.โ
Despite the coronavirus threat, Berlin has been reluctant to tighten border controls. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has spoken out against the measure, saying it isย โnot an appropriate response to the challenge.โ