Kiev. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – February 03, 2021 – International News
The EU has renewed restrictions on entry into the Schengen area from third countries. The criteria for opening borders have become stricter. From now on, a negative PCR test will be required to enter the EU.
The Council of the European Union has approved new recommendations on travel restrictions to the Schengen area, introduced through the COVID-19 pandemic.
In particular, the recommendations provide new conditions for the opening of the EU’s borders with a third country for any travel, including tourism. To do this, this country must meet a number of criteria. In particular, the number of new cases of COVID-19 should not exceed 25 per 100,000 population in the last 14 days. The number of new cases in the last two weeks should be reduced or remain stable compared to the previous 14-day period.
In addition, the country must perform more than 300 tests per 100,000 population in seven days, and the number of positive tests for coronavirus in the last seven days should not exceed four percent. The presence or absence of various coronavirus mutations will also be taken into account.
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Based on these criteria, the EU Council will update the list of countries for whose citizens the borders of the Schengen area will be open. The list was last viewed on January 28. There are only seven countries left: Australia, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and China.
As before, the so-called necessary trips will be allowed. That is, citizens and residents of EU countries, as well as, for example, transport workers or diplomats, are allowed on the Schengen territory. From now on, a negative PCR test will be required for entry, which was done within 72 hours before entering the Schengen area. This rule will not apply only to transport workers, such as drivers. Countries may also, at their discretion, apply additional restrictions upon arrival – quarantine, self-isolation, or additional coronavirus testing.
The recommendations also provide for the possibility to limit the categories of people who are entitled to the necessary travel. This will be particularly the case in those third countries where the epidemiological situation is rapidly deteriorating, in particular, due to the spread of new variants of the coronavirus.
These restrictions have been adopted in the form of recommendations, as border-crossing issues are the responsibility of EU states. It is the national governments that are responsible for their implementation. However, as the EU countries have jointly adopted these recommendations, they are expected to follow them.
The recommendations apply to all EU countries except Ireland, as well as to Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. Denmark has the right to decide whether or not to comply with them.