German Christmas markets, nice winter sports or looking for the sun far away: if it is up to the Outbreak Management Team (OMT), that is not the case this year. The risk of a new influx of the coronavirus is simply too great, the team says.
“During the summer holiday period and the months afterwards, many hundreds, mainly younger people, returned from a holiday abroad with COVID-19,” the OMT writes in an advisory report to the Ministry of Health. The team of experts wants to prevent a repetition and therefore advocates negative travel advice during the Christmas holidays.
Not 1.5 meters
The OMT notes that in many countries less strict guidelines applied in the summer, so that people took more risks more quickly. People also simply stick less to the guidelines that apply in the Netherlands when on holiday. With nice weather and a nice drink, the meter and a half can sometimes be forgotten.
There were clear quarantine recommendations from the government, but they did not seem to help. Only 27 percent of travelers actually went into quarantine after visiting a country with ‘code orange’.
It is not yet certain whether the negative travel advice will actually materialize. The OMT is an important advisor, but ultimately the cabinet must decide whether a measure will be introduced. The OMT also expects that not everyone will adhere to the negative travel advice if it comes.
