Germany plans to reduce international air traffic to zero to avoid variants of COVID-19

Germany plans to reduce international air traffic to its territory “practically to zero,” due to the intensity of the pandemic and the danger posed by new variants of the virus, the Interior Minister said on Tuesday.

“The danger posed by the different mutations of the virus demands that we study and debate drastic measures in the government,” Horst Seehofer told the newspaper.Bild.

Among them are “stricter controls at the borders, especially in areas considered high risk, but also the reduction to practically zero of air traffic to Germany, as Israel is doing at this time,” added the minister.

“The population, which is accepting important restrictions” in the face of the pandemic, “expects us to protect them as best as possible from a possible explosion of cases,” he explained.

Daily infections in Germany fell below 10,000 these days, after major restrictions that will be in force until mid-February.

But the number of deaths remains around 1,000 per day and authorities fear that this number will increase, due to variants of the virus.

According to the press, Chancellor Angela Merkel herself had mentioned the possibility of radically cutting or considerably reducing international air traffic during a meeting with deputies, held behind closed doors.