Editor in chief at IamExpat Media
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that she is “very hopeful” that people who have not been vaccinated against coronavirus will also be allowed to travel within Europe this summer.
“Considering what low levels of infection some EU countries like Portugal already have now, I am very hopeful that we can afford overall what was possible last summer,” the chancellor said on Saturday, following a video conference with other EU leaders.
Germany may be easing restrictions for vaccinated people only, but Angela Merkel was adamant that when it came to holidays abroad, the rules would “of course” apply to everyone, both vaccinated and unvaccinated - although she could not yet state exactly when this would be.
She said that in Germany, “we seem to have broken the third wave”, adding that as incidence rates fall, people can be given more freedom. “Hopefully that will be the case for the whole of Europe.”
Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn was also optimistic about the possibility of travel over the summer holidays. “Travelling within the EU will probably not depend on vaccinations,” he told the Rheinische Post. “You will also be able to travel Europe-wide with a [negative] test.”
However, he tempered that by advising people in Germany not to get too ambitious with their travel plans. “In this hopefully last phase of the pandemic, I would not plan any major long-distance trips,” he said. “The North Sea instead of the South Pacific, so to speak.”