Germany closes borders with Czech Republic and Austria Tyrol region

Germany closing down its borders with the Czech Republic and the Austrian Tyrol region -- both regions with high infection rates of contagious COVID-19 variants.

Horst Seehofer told the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper that the time limitations would come into power on Sunday evening, with some exceptions currently under review.

The Tyrol and the Czech regions bordering Germany will be classified on the list of areas undoubtedly affected by virus mutations, Seehofer said.

Travelers coming from some regions of Austria or the Czech Republic will have to prove a negative coronavirus test to enter Germany. This position will present a hurdle for thousands of cross-border workers.

It is not clear how long the border controls will last. Bavaria Governor Markus Soeder, whose state borders both Austria and the Czech Republic, said earlier Thursday that in the event of such action by the federal government, Bavaria would request permission to erect border posts where travelers who don’t present a negative COVID-19 test would be turned away.

Soeder said all the Bavaria fields with high coronavirus infection rates, except for one, are located on the German-Czech border.

He praised measures taken by the Czech Republic to contain the spread of virus variants and criticized authorities in Tyrol, saying they appeared not to be taking the result seriously.