The new Omikron-Corona variant means that extremely short-term changes are issued in the area of ​​entry regulations. More and more European countries are banning passenger connections from countries in the south of the African continent and are also issuing tough entry regulations.

The UK will no longer allow anyone to enter without quarantine. Unless you happen to come from South Africa or its neighboring countries, you now have to complete a paid PCR test on the second day of entry. Until the result is available, you are in quarantine, which is then ended immediately with a negative result. This also applies expressly to those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered. Hotel quarantine applies again to the countries in southern Africa.

Switzerland: quarantine also for European countries

Switzerland is now also imposing strict entry requirements. It is noticeable that these are obviously based on the discovery of Omikron cases. If you have previously stayed in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Egypt or Malawai, a ten-day quarantine must be undertaken. For the states around South Africa there is a de facto transport ban.

The airline Swiss said in a broadcast: “Swiss supports global efforts to minimize the spread of the corona virus. For this reason, Swiss will implement the decision of the federal authorities and until further notice will only transport passengers from South Africa to Switzerland with Swiss and Liechtenstein citizenship or corresponding Swiss or Liechtenstein residence permits. They must also be able to show a negative COVID test result upon entry. The prerequisite is the official approval of the return flights. Swiss respects the decision of the federal authorities and implements the measures accordingly. Swiss points out, however, that based on experience in recent months, flight bans are not ideal for preventing the spread of a newly discovered virus variant. The World Health Organization (WHO) also calls for people not to react to the mutation of the Corona Virus with travel restrictions. Travel to and from South Africa is still possible through other hubs ”.

The sister company Edelweiss explains: “On the Edelweiss route network, the flights between Zurich and Cape Town in South Africa are affected. For flights from Cape Town to Zurich, Edelweiss will apply to the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) for a permit to enter Swiss airspace. Only passengers who meet the newly imposed entry requirements for Switzerland by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) and the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) are carried on these flights. The flights from Zurich to Cape Town will be operated according to the published flight schedule without federal restrictions until further notice. "

Austria: Armed Forces should control closely

Austria has issued stricter entry regulations for the states of Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The ban on passenger flights that have started in these states is more of a symbolic meaning, because there are none anyway. Therefore, this is more likely to affect business aviation. People who have stayed in the states mentioned must present a negative PCR test regardless of their vaccination status and then go into quarantine. Only EU citizens and people with a residence or residence permit in Austria are allowed to enter. Furthermore, Swiss and Liechtenstein citizens can enter, but they are also bound to the quarantine.

Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein (Greens) is currently keeping a low profile regarding an extension of the tightening of the entry regulations. However, there are already specific considerations to extend this to European countries in which the Omikron variant has occurred.

Flughafen Wien spokesman Peter Kleemann told the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation that the Armed Forces working on behalf of the Bruck an der Leitha district authority, in Addis Ababa, Amsterdam, Paris (Charles de Gaulle), Dubai, Doha, Frankfurt, Cairo , Istanbul and Zurich have switched, will examine more closely. The travel route should be examined carefully, because in the past, transfer passengers could avoid any quarantine.