Covid-19: News and information in English about the situation in Munich and Germany

by Know Before You Go

The Corona pandemic changed the world and travel in particular. It’s not as easy as it was before 2020 to just hop on a plane and sunbathe on sun-kissed beaches or visit the sights of cities. New terminologies and daily routines have entered our lives due to Covid-19. We are dealing with lockdowns, entry restrictions, mandatory tests, quarantine regulations, and the discussion of compulsory vaccinations for travel.
To complicate things further, each country and in Germany sometimes even each municipality has different rules regarding restrictions.

For travelers ( regardless of whether they are traveling for tourism or business) who do not speak German, this creates significant barriers in a jungle of regulations, information, and often daily news updates.

To bring a bit of light into the darkness, I show you where to find the best (and most trustworthy) information and news about Covid-19 related activities in Munich, Bavaria, and Germany.

Munich before Covid-19

Understanding the Situation in Germany

Perhaps you have already noticed it on the sidelines. In Germany, there are no uniform regulations on lockdowns, school closures, and other restrictions on the Corona pandemic.

But why is that?
Simply put, a lot has to do with the federal structure of the Federal Republic. Many competencies have been transferred to the individual states since the founding of the Federal Republic. The federal government is often only able to make recommendations, not regulations. This regularly leads to the fact that there are sometimes significant differences in the fight against the covid virus between the individual federal states. While schools are closed in one federal state, they remain open in another. One state imposes a lockdown, while another relaxes its regulations and reopens stores. Especially during the relaxation phase of the summer of 2020, it was noticed quite quickly that Germany is a patchwork of regulations.

As a traveler who has not usually studied and internalized the structure and historical genesis of this patchwork, this can lead to a great deal of confusion.

Where you can still get good information, even if you do not speak German I show you now.

Information on Covid-19 in Germany

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) is the most important German institution concerning the covid pandemic. The institute is the German counterpart to John Hopkins University in the USA.

All information from the RKI is highly official and reliable. Therefore, as a traveler, but also as a person living in Germany who does not speak German (e.g. expatriates), you should check the RKI website frequently, as it also provides the latest information in English.

What can you find on the RKI website?
– Daily reports about the current infection situation
– An interactive dashboard with figures and data history
– Information about the German Covid warning app for mobile phones
– Information about the vaccination strategy
– Studies

Visit the RKI website

The Integration Commissioner’s website provides a variety of information on the Corona pandemic in up to 20 different languages. Of course, also in English.

What can you find on the website?
– Information about the Corona warning app
– Information about vaccination
– FAQ about Covid in Germany
– Information about work and study during Corona
– Basic information for travelers

Visit the website

The website of the Federal Foreign Office provides information in English on entry requirements and travel restrictions.

What can be found on the website?
– Information about entry restrictions
– quarantine regulations
– Travel information regarding entry and transit

Visit the website

Information on Covid-19 in Munich and Bavaria

Travel-related news on Covid-19 for Munich and Bavaria

German news ressources on Covid-19 in English

COVID-19: Germany, Bavaria, Munich shutdown beginning March 17th 2020

by with No Comment DealsGeneralGetting AroundKnow Before You Go

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The public life in Munich and Germany in general is shutting down from March 17th 2020 due tom COVID-19

public life as we know it as travellers will change drastically from today, March 17th 2020.
Germany, and with it Munich, will severely restrict public life due to the growing spread of COVID-19. What this means for citizens but also for travellers, I have summarised for you in the following article.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=“50″][vc_single_image image=“1466″ img_size=“500×500″ alignment=“center“ style=“vc_box_circle_2″][vc_empty_space height=“50″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

What does a shutdown in Germany and Munich mean?

On Sunday evening, March 15, 2020, the Bavarian Minister President announced that Bavaria, and thus also Munich, is declaring a state of emergency (in German: Katastrophenfall, literally „catastrophe case“ K-case).
The Federal Government followed this decision and decided to implement a complete shutdown for all of Germany.

If a disaster is declared, the government is authorized to restrict public life. In the present case, this has an impact on schools, restaurants, museums, leisure activities, but also on public transport and cross-border traffic.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=“50″][vc_single_image image=“656″ img_size=“500×500″ alignment=“center“ style=“vc_box_circle_2″][vc_empty_space height=“50″][vc_column_text]

What will change in Munich?

Below you can see the effects in Munich and Bavaria that the shutdown will have:

Educational institutions:

  • Schools and daycare centers are closed. Emergency care is guaranteed.
  • Universities and libraries are closed

Stores and Shops:

  • All shops are closed. Exceptions are: grocery stores, drugstores and supermarkets, beverage shops, banks, post offices, pharmacies and medical supply stores, opticians, pet shops, DIY- and hardware stores, gas stations, dry cleaners and of course online shops. Shopping malls are allowed to open shops mentioned above.

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In order to ensure the supply, the shop opening hours were adjusted and extended. The shop opening hours in Bavaria and Munich are as follows with immediate effect up to and including March 30th 2020:

weekdays: 6.00 AM to 10.00 PM
Sundays and public holidays: 12.00 AM to 6.00 PM

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=“50″][vc_column_text]Restaurants, bars and similar establishments:

May open, but only between 6 AM and 3 PM and only if it is ensured that a maximum of 30 people are in a room and that they are at least 1.5 metres (60 in.) apart.

Delivery services, takeaways and drive-in counters may remain open after 3 pm.

Hotel restaurants may continue to open, but only for the exclusive purpose of serving their own guests.

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Leisure facilities:

All leisure facilities in Bavaria are closed until April 19. These are swimming pools, saunas, thermal baths, cinemas, conference and event rooms, clubs, bars and discotheques, gaming and gambling halls, theatres, museums, libraries, club rooms, brothels, sports halls, fitness studios, zoos, music and adult education centres and youth centres, sports- and playgrounds.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Restaurants, bars and similar establishments:

May open, but only between 6 AM and 3 PM and only if it is ensured that a maximum of 30 people are in a room and that they are at least 1.5 metres (60 in.) apart.

Delivery services, takeaways and drive-in counters may remain open after 3 pm.

Hotel restaurants may continue to open, but only for the exclusive purpose of serving their own guests.

Service companies and handicraft enterprises:
Can continue working as usual. This applies to craftsmen such as plumbers, and car repair shops, but also hairdressers/barber shops. Nevertheless, these businesses can open at their own discretion. Many of these businesses will not open to protect their own employees.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=“50″][vc_single_image image=“1469″ img_size=“500×500″ alignment=“center“ style=“vc_box_circle_2″][vc_empty_space height=“50″][vc_column_text]

Changes at national borders

The borders to the following countries are basically closed:

  • Denmark
  • France
  • Luxembourg
  • Switzerland
  • Austria

Still allowed to cross the border are vehicles/persons transporting goods, especially food, commuters and Germans returning home from abroad.

All other travellers, regardless of their nationality, who have no valid reason to enter Germany will be turned away at the border.

What are „valid reasons“?
Valid reasons include for example medical treatment, funeral of a family member, a required professional activity in Germany (e.g. commuters, seasonal workers, diplomats, etc.) or the delivery of goods.
The valid reason must be proven to the border officials by carrying suitable documents (employment contract, employer’s certificate, order documents, cross-border commuter card or similar).

Is transit through Germany permitted?
Persons who live in a third-party country and only travel through Germany for transit purposes (e.g. from Italy to the Netherlands) are generally allowed to pass through.

Each individual border official is responsible for deciding on entry. He or she decides at his or her dutiful discretion.

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Changes in flight and ship traffic

The German Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community created a specific website for all such travel related questions. Information in English can be found under the following link:

https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/faqs/EN/topics/civil-protection/coronavirus/travel-restrictions-border-control/travel-restrictions-boarder-control-list.html[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]