TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Germany imposes border controls with five countries in virus fightback: AFP

Only those with a valid reason for travel, like cross-border commuters and delivery drivers, are allowed through, officials said.

News Desk (Agence France-Presse)
Berlin
Mon, March 16, 2020 Published on Mar. 16, 2020 Published on 2020-03-16T16:03:07+07:00

Change text size

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Flight passengers are seen at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, on March 12, 2020. Flight passengers are seen at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, on March 12, 2020. (AFP/Daniel Roland)

G

ermany on Monday introduced border controls with Austria, Denmark, France, Luxembourg and Switzerland in a bid to stem the coronavirus outbreak.

Only those with a valid reason for travel, like cross-border commuters and delivery drivers, are allowed through, officials said. The measures started at 7 a.m. GMT, AFP reporters said.

At the border between Germany's Kiefersfelden and Austria's Kufstein, police let trucks through but stopped all passenger cars to question drivers, an AFP photographer saw. By 7:30 a.m., some 10 cars had been turned back.

German citizens and people with a residency permit will still be allowed to return to the country, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said on Sunday when he announced the temporary border checks.

It is the latest drastic step taken by German authorities to halt the pandemic.

From Monday, schools and daycare centers in most German states will remain closed, with some exceptions made for parents in critical jobs who have not yet found alternative child care arrangements.

Germany has also banned large gatherings, and states are increasingly asking restaurants, bars, sports clubs and other public places to shut their doors as well.

Germany's islands in the North and Baltic Seas also closed themselves to tourists from Monday.

And Bavaria planned to declare a disaster situation to allow the state's authorities to push through new restrictions faster, including possibly asking the army for assistance.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier urged citizens to limit their social contacts.

"Restrictions on our lives today can save lives tomorrow," he told the news site t-online.de.

"We will conquer this virus," he added.

Germany has so far recorded 4,838 confirmed infections and 12 confirmed deaths.

Other neighbouring countries like Poland and the Czech Republic have also closed their borders or introduced severe restrictions.

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.

Share options

Quickly share this news with your network—keep everyone informed with just a single click!

Change text size options

Customize your reading experience by adjusting the text size to small, medium, or large—find what’s most comfortable for you.

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!

Continue in the app

Get the best experience—faster access, exclusive features, and a seamless way to stay updated.