Poland opened its borders to all EU neighbouring countries to almost three months. In the night of Saturday, the closing ended due to the Corona-crisis. This means that there is no fever checks and no mandatory Quarantine for travellers from the EU, said a spokeswoman for the Polish border guard on Saturday, according to the news Agency PAP. “We return to the free travel.”
According to information provided by the Polish border guard were inspected in the nearly three months of the border closure to around 2.5 million people, of which almost two million of border crossings to Germany. A total of 270 people had tried to go contrary to the rules, on Polish territory. On the German-Polish border, there were 105 such cases, including 51 Polish and 24 Ukrainian nationals.
The Opening was celebrated in Poland and Germany: the heads of The two neighbouring cities of Frankfurt (Oder) and Słubice, mayor René Wilke (Left) and Mariusz Olejniczak, went at midnight to the town bridge to each other and hugged. “It was a very emotional, special Moment,” said Wilke, the German press Agency. “It is a gesture of very, very many people on both sides of the Or.” He told his colleagues: “it’s good to see You!”
The mayor of Görlitz and the neighbouring Polish town of Zgorzelec opened in the night to Saturday with the bolt the put up the border fence cutters again. At midnight, Octavian Ursu (CDU) and his Polish colleague Rafal Gronicz cut through the chains of the fence on the old town bridge. This had separated the cities for several months of each other. Around 400 to 500 people in total should be on the German and the Polish side have been. Numerous people celebrated the Opening.
On the island of Usedom to Western Pomerania, the part of Mecklenburg, and part of Poland, was the facilitation of the Opening of the German-Polish border, large. Hotels and restaurants on the island of Usedom are without Polish staff imaginable. The Spa Director of the three Imperial baths Bansin, Heringsdorf and Ahlbeck, Thomas Heilmann, according to individual tourism businesses have up to 80 percent of Polish employees. On average there were 15 to 20 percent.
in mid-March, had closed the national-conservative government in Warsaw as a protective measure against further spread of the Coronavirus, the EU-internal borders to foreigners. Exceptions were for people with a permanent residence permit, for truck drivers and diplomats car. Poland, returned from abroad, to 14 days in quarantine. The introduction of this scheme had particularly taken by commuters on the German-Polish border hard. For it was agreed, later, for an exception.
For the border regions is thus a difficult time to end. Now, many Polish customers could shop again in Frankfurt (Oder) and German for shopping to Poland, said the Lord mayor. It is also easier family will make visits to, for hundreds of students and daycare children it is easier. “It felt as if a part of us is cut off,” said Wilke about the closed border.
since last Friday, the checks of Lithuanian goods, ceased to exist-Polish border. Since Saturday at midnight this is also true for the borders to Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The requirements for travellers from Non-EU countries have been relaxed. Controls at the borders with Ukraine, Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad (Königsberg), however, have been obtained. From the age of 16. June, once again with flights to destinations within the EU. What time is the also for almost three months capped international train services are taken within the EU, was not at first clear. International train services in the neighbouring countries of Poland which are not members of the EU, should there not be more.
The citizens of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine may enter the territory of Poland, if you are the spouse or children of a Polish citizen, or in Poland, a work permit. Workers from these countries need to quarantine after their entry are not in 14-day.
dpa
