Germany’s center for disease prevention has designated three Spanish regions as “high-risk areas,” according to its most recent update to its global list of places believed to be hotbeds of the novel coronavirus.
“The Autonomous Communities of Aragon, Catalonia and Navarre are currently considered high-risk areas,” the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said in its amendment to the list.
While the German foreign ministry had already issued a travel warning for the three Spanish regions on Tuesday, the designation by the RKI means that travelers returning to Germany from those regions will be mandated to take coronavirus tests on arrival, according to a new directive by Germany’s health ministry which is set to go into effect next week.
Several other European countries have issued warnings on traveling to Spain.
The UK recently re-imposed a 14-day mandatory quarantine measures for travelers arriving from Spain, a move that could disrupt travel and impact tourism, which is a vital part of the Spanish economy.
Meanwhile, French Prime Minister Jean Castex last week advised people against traveling to the region of Catalonia.
