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Germany orders more than 300 people into quarantine after Sylt holiday

The Local Germany
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Germany orders more than 300 people into quarantine after Sylt holiday
The island of Sylt in April. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Axel Heimken

Germany is beginning to reopen after months of shutdown - and some areas are even welcoming tourists again. But if positive Covid cases are detected, it can result in hundreds having to quarantine.

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A recent case on the holiday island of Sylt, Schleswig-Holstein, shows the difficulties a holiday in Germany can currently entail.

A couple, who went on vacation to the German island in the Frisian archipelago in the North Sea around May 6th, tested positive for coronavirus after they returned home.

According to contact tracing, they had visited four restaurants and other services while on the island. 

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This has had direct consequences for a large number of people, including other holidaymakers, who had been in the vicinity of the couple.

READ ALSO: Northern German state leads the way as Covid cases fall nationwide

German authorities have now asked a total of more than 300 people to quarantine in connection with the case, local broadcaster NDR reported on Thursday.

For data protection reasons, it has not been revealed where the couple lives in Germany. 

As part of a project to see how tourism can work on Sylt, holidaymakers have to take a coronavirus rapid test every 48 hours and report the result to their accommodation provider. However, in this case the positive infections appears not to have been caught in that process.

On Monday Schleswig-Holstein became the first state in Germany to completely open up hotels and indoor dining. The move comes ahead of a national three-day weekend.

READ ALSO: First German state opens completely for tourism

The state has the lowest rate of coronavirus infection in the whole country, with the 7-day incidence rate currently standing at 31.4 per 100,000 inhabitants.

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