If a Corona train comes to Germany, nobody feels responsible
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Status: 06:21 a.m. | Reading time: 3 minutes
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Fifth death reported in Italy
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In Italy, the corona virus is spreading rapidly. Five people have already died of it. The German federal government is currently not planning to close borders. The situation is being observed.
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Austria stopped the rail traffic to Italy for a short time because two German passengers noticed a fever and cough. It is completely unclear who decides on such measures in the Federal Republic.
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es was a little foretaste of what could be the case if the Corona virus spreads further in other European countries: the Eurocity from Venice to Munich was stopped on Sunday evening by the Austrian authorities on the Brenner Pass for several hours, the train traffic between Italy and Austria was thus stopped.
The Italian railroad had informed colleagues in Austria that two German passengers had noticed a fever and cough in Italy. So of all the symptoms that can indicate the coronavirus. Only when a test gave the all-clear, were the trains allowed to continue.
In Austria, according to a spokeswoman for the local rail company ÖBB, the Vienna Ministry of the Interior decided that the risk was not to be taken and the train was stopped. Of course, there was close coordination between the authorities in Germany, Austria and Italy, said a spokeswoman.
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In Germany, rail traffic continued as planned on Monday. “There are currently no restrictions on rail traffic to and from Italy,” said a spokesman for Deutsche Bahn (DB). The railway is in constant communication with the relevant health organizations and authorities to evaluate the developments. “The decision on measures to contain the virus is the responsibility of the authorities,” said the DB spokesman.
The only question is: Which authority would actually decide whether to stop the train service or whether other measures to contain the virus are necessary? While the Ministry of the Interior had decided in Austria, the German Federal Ministry of the Interior referred to colleagues from the Ministry of Transport.
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“Italy apparently made the mistake of canceling flights from China”
Supermarkets are bought empty, the authorities on the border with Austria are nervous. Why does the corona virus hit Italy of all places? Our reporters report from the Brenner station and from the cordoned off city of Codogno.
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Source: WELT / Bettina Gabbe, Christina Lewinsky
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But there is a WELT request left unanswered on Monday under which conditions the rail traffic to a neighboring country could be stopped or interrupted due to the corona virus. The question of whether individual countries could even impose restrictions or whether action should be taken at European level remained unanswered.
Other means of transport head for Italy
EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said restrictions on travel should be coordinated, appropriate and scientifically justified. “Currently, the WorldHealth Organization has not recommended restrictions on freight or passengers,” she said. No restrictions on train traffic are currently planned at European level.
It is also questionable how effective such barriers would be as long as other modes of transport continue to travel to Italy. “There are currently no restrictions on the schedule at FlixBus,” said a spokeswoman for the bus competitor of the Deutsche Bahn. “FlixBus monitors the situation around the corona virus with great care and is in close contact with the authorities.” However, the authorities are currently not recommending any special measures.
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There were also no restrictions in air traffic on Monday. “All flights to Italy are on schedule and without cancellation,” said a spokeswoman for Munich Airport, for example. So far, no special precautionary measures have been initiated by the responsible authorities.
At airports with China connections, there are already information and warnings for passengers about the symptoms of coronavirus disease. Direct flights from China continue to land at German airports, although the connections have been restricted. For example, an aircraft from Shanghai from Air China arrived at Munich Airport on Monday.
While aircraft from Chinese airlines continue to land in Germany, Italy has, for example, blocked its airports for direct flights to China until further notice. In addition, travelers from all over the world are now checked for fever at the airports.
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Overall, however, the airports, ports and train stations in Italy are in regular operation, according to the travel information provided by the Federal Foreign Office. However, the government has passed an emergency ordinance.
Since Sunday, local authorities have imposed an entry and exit ban for the affected communities in several places in the Lombardy region (province of Lodi, southeast of Milan) and Veneto (province of Padua). All major events such as sports events or the carnival have been canceled.
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“People can only go to the supermarket with breathing masks”
The corona virus has hit Italy hard. Several cities were quarantined in the north. WELT reporter Bettina Gabbe reports from the affected city of Codogno.
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