ARCHIVED - German government warns against travel to Catalunya and Cantabria as Covid cases soar

Both regions are above the extreme risk threshold in terms of the Covid incidence rate

The government of Germany has reacted to the recent surge in coronavirus infection in Spain by placing the regions of Catalunya and Cantabria – which have the highest incidence rates in this country at present – on their list of high-risk travel destinations.

What this means is that anyone travelling to Germany from these areas, as well as German visitors returning home from trips to these parts of Spain, is required to undergo testing on their return, while at the same time the German government officially advises against visiting either region. In the case of Catalunya especially this will come as a disappointment to the tourism sector, with Germany expected to be one of the main sources of international tourists this summer while the UK’s travel restrictions remain in place.

However, those returning to Germany are no longer required to self-isolate after their visits to listed destinations, among which Cyprus and some parts of Norway also feature after being added along with Cantabria and Catalunya.

Meanwhile, the latest case numbers in both regions continue to rise. The most recent figures in Catalunya report a further 3,462 confirmed infections on Sunday with 522 Covid patients in hospital (including 123 in intensive care), and the upward curve is an extremely steep one; the accumulated incidence rate is currently 296 cases per 100,000, almost double the national average of 152.

Similarly, in Cantabria the latest daily update reports a further 129 cases, taking the 14-day incidence rate above the “extreme risk” threshold of 250 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The figure now stands at 281, and the testing positivity rate is at an alarming 9.3 per cent, almost double the 5% considered acceptable by the WHO.