Travelers with Covid boosters can soon skip Dutch quarantine; Some may need extra jab to visit Germany

Travelers from very high-risk areas who have had a booster shot will no longer have to quarantine upon arrival in the Netherlands from next week Wednesday, the Cabinet informed parliament. Netherlands residents who got the Jannsen vaccine against Covid-19 may have to get an extra booster shot if they want to go to Germany, Health Minister Ernst Kuipers said.

Travelers from very high-risk countries currently have to quarantine for 10 days after arriving in the Netherlands. Almost two weeks ago, the Cabinet announced that people in the Netherlands who had a booster shot at least a week ago no longer have to quarantine after contact with an infected person, provided they have no symptoms. The same rules will apply to travelers from very high-risk countries from February 2.

Over 30 countries are territories are considered very high-risk due to the coronavirus situation there. These include the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Israel, and countries in southern Africa.

Minister Kuipers will ask the Health Council whether people who received the Janssen vaccine can get an extra booster so that they are welcome in Germany. The Janssen vaccine requires only one dose to be fully vaccinated. But in Germany, one Janssen shot and a booster is not enough for a coronavirus access pass. Germany requires a third vaccination for this.

Kuipers called it a shame that Germany made a different assessment than the rest of the EU member states on this matter. "Unfortunately, we can't change that."

CDA parliamentarian Joba van den Berg expected there had already been "high-level" consultations between Germany and the Netherlands. She hopes that the extra booster shot will offer a solution "if it can be done responsibly," because a solution is badly needed. Five Dutch provinces border the country. "We are so dependent on Germany."

Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who got the Janssen vaccine, seemed to only realize during the coronavirus debate that he can no longer go to Germany. "But we're going to talk about that," he told Kuipers.