Germany to test people returning from high-risk countries for coronavirus

Health ministers from Germany's states agreed on Friday to roll out free coronavirus testing at airports for travelers who are returning from high-risk countries. An existing rule required people returning from those countries to go into a 14-day quarantine unless they could show a negative coronavirus test. now, the German states have agreed to ask people to undergo the test at the airport. It is voluntary, but people who do not take the test will be required to complete the two-week quarantine as before.

Those with a negative test result will not have to quarantine. Berlin's health minister made the announcement after a video conference with the health ministers from Germany's 15 states. She added that travelers who are returning from other countries would also be offered free tests within 72 hours of their arrival. The German government is set to cover the costs at first, but is looking at new regulations to add it to the flight ticket price, according to the health ministers' decree.