Flying in the time of coronavirus

Cancelled flights, concerns about the safety of air travel, worries about the rise in the number of Covid-19 infections at destination and the eventuality of quarantine on return mean that flying in the time of coronavirus can be a nightmare. It is not surprising therefore that many people have decided not to go abroad this summer. Others, meanwhile, have opted to travel by car to avoid being in close contact with potentially infectious travellers.

 

Is it safe to fly?

If you don’t fancy the prospect of driving 2,500 Km or more to visit your family, flying is probably the fastest and safest option, albeit not the most environmentally friendly. According to experts, if you consider various forms of travel, such as bus and train, the risk of Covid transmission inside an aircraft cabin might actually be the lowest. This is because planes use a hepa (high-efficiency particulate air) filter that ensures air inside the cabin is either fresh or recirculated. However, the risk increases if the plane is full, especially if you are sitting next to someone who is infected.

Will my flight be cancelled?

Bearing all this in mind, my family and I set off for Berlin’s Tegel airport by taxi on a bright sunny morning at the end of June. We all wore face masks, including the taxi driver, and we had the car window open to let in a steady breeze. I carried a selection of spare masks in my hand luggage, as well as travel-size hand sanitiser and disinfectant – the essential items when travelling in the coronavirus era.  We had already had one set of flights cancelled by Lufthansa in June (only 12 days after booking – we are still waiting for a refund, as are thousands of others) and, right up until boarding, I had doubts about whether our Swiss flights actually existed and whether we would make our connecting flight in Zurich.

 

Will social distancing be possible?

When we arrived at the airport, Tegel was almost deserted and most of the shops were closed. The queue at the bag drop was much shorter than usual, and passengers generally observed the mask-wearing and physical distancing rules. Once we got to our gate, it became more difficult to keep a distance from others, as more people arrived, so we moved upstairs, where we found fewer people and more comfortable seats. When the announcement to board the plane was made, the airport staff made the usual distinction between business and economy passengers, but other than that we were all called to board at the same time. It was difficult to maintain a physical distance, especially when queuing in the jet-bridge, but at least everyone was wearing a mask.

 

What happens on board?

Once on board, we were greeted by the mask-wearing crew and we were given a disinfectant wipe. The idea is for passengers to disinfect all surfaces close to their seat. We were also given a questionnaire to fill out with our contact and travel details, including our seat number on the plane. According to the airline Swiss, “where possible, neighbouring seats will be kept vacant”, but both our planes were full and, as far as we could tell, there were very few free seats. Swiss has a “modified and partly reduced onboard service”, which “aims at reducing the number of physical interactions between crew and guests”. As both our flights were over 45 minutes, there was a reduced beverage service and on our second flight we were given a snack. There were no Duty-Free sales though. Zurich airport was busier than Tegel, as there were more flights departing. Most shops were closed, but we were able to buy sandwiches.

 

Are the regulations the same in other EU and Schengen countries?

I’ve already written about the confusion caused by the contradictory information regarding Covid. To add to the confusion, when you travel abroad, you discover that each country has different regulations about face masks and physical distance.  For instance, at Zurich airport wearing a face mask is not compulsory, but passengers are encouraged to wear one if a 1.5 m distance cannot be observed. As we were queuing to board our flight to Palermo, we heard an announcement about larger pieces of hand luggage to be placed in the hold.

 

What are the regulations when travelling to Italy?

The Italian National Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) has prohibited the use of overhead lockers. Small handbags are still allowed, as long as they can be placed under the seat in front of you. The measure is intended to facilitate boarding and disembarking and avoid the formation of crowds. Once on board, we were advised to wear our protective masks. They are compulsory on all Edelweiss flights, “whenever social distancing is not possible”. After take-off, there was another announcement, presumably as we were now flying over Italian airspace: in Italy it is mandatory to wear a protective mask on airplanes at all times. We were also given a self-certification form to fill out declaring we were not suffering from Covid or subject to quarantine. When we landed in Palermo, we disembarked as usual and walked into the terminal, where our body temperature was scanned. After waiting an hour for our luggage, we discovered that 55 suitcases were missing, including ours. Apparently, there had been a problem at Zurich airport. Two days later, after having our body temperature scanned three times at different points in Palermo airport and after a security check, we were finally able to collect our luggage.

 

Do I need to quarantine?

If you travel to Italy from other EU and Schengen countries there is no requirement for quarantine, but it’s probably wise to keep an extra distance from others, just in case.

Life coming out of lockdown: weeks 14 and 15

As the lockdown measures continue to be relaxed (Corona-Lockerung, as it’s known in Germany), life in Berlin is slowly returning to something resembling normality. At the same time, the number of infections continues to rise, so there is some concern as to whether the restrictions will have to be brought back. There have been reports of outbreaks in Neukölln and Friedrichshain, where entire apartment blocks have been put in quarantine, but at the moment the situation is said to be “under control”.

 

Lockdown relaxation

 

As of 27 June, there will no longer be contact restrictions (Kontaktbeschränkungen), meaning that Berliners may meet an unlimited number of people. However, social contacts should be kept to a minimum. The 1.5 m distance and other hygiene rules still apply. Generally, things are a lot more organised, efficient and not as crowded these days. Still, as I found out waiting outside a shop this week, some people here still have trouble understanding the concept of queuing. Also, as restaurants and cafes have been allowed to spread their tables out onto the pavements, getting by can be tricky, especially if you are cycling with a child.

 

Cycling with children in Berlin

 

On Monday 22 June I became, in my husband’s words, «a true Berliner», i.e. I shouted back at someone on the street. In Berlin, road rage is a local pastime. Whenever I am out and about, I often hear someone shouting, be it a motorist or a cyclist or a pedestrian. Sometimes it’s justified, while other times it’s unnecessary. Well on Monday I was told off by a man for cycling along the pavement with my son. He pointed to the cycle lane on the road and told me in an arrogant tone: «Das ist der Radweg!» (That is the cycle lane). So, I shouted back: «Und das ist ein Kind!» (And that is a child). I’m really fed up of people telling me off for something that is permitted by law. In case you don’t believe me, this is the link. In Germany, parents are allowed to cycle on the pavement with their children, if they are under the age of 8. Moreover, children under 8 are not allowed to cycle on the road so they have to cycle on the pavement. Thus, they can use cycle tracks (where cyclists are physically separated from traffic), but they can’t use cycle lanes, which are on the road.

 

Fines for not wearing masks

 

Despite the popular notion of Germans being law-abiding, not everyone follows the rules. In Berlin there have been reports of illegal parties in parks and fewer people have been wearing face masks on public transport. The Berlin Senate has thus responded by introducing fines between €50 and €500 for violations of the mask-wearing requirement, effective from 27 June. There will also be fines for violations of the hygiene rules.  

 

Corona warning app

 

The Corona-Warn-app was introduced in Germany last week and since 16 June can be downloaded. The idea is to warn people if they have been in contact with an infected person. Use of the app is voluntary but is recommended to “break chains of infection”. I decided to give it a go and after 8 days of tracking, luckily my risk is defined as low.

 

Germany reopens its borders

 

On 15 June Germany reopened its borders to other EU members. As a result, air travel has picked up and we’ve started to hear and see more planes in the sky over Berlin. Nevertheless, airlines continue to cancel flights using the coronavirus as a reason. Almost everyone I’ve spoken to has decided to drive to France, Austria or Italy for the holidays. As one mother at school pointed out: «I have so many airline vouchers, I don’t know what to do with them». We are supposed to be getting a full refund from Lufthansa for a flight that was cancelled only 12 days after we booked it, but we were told we would have to wait 3 months rather than the standard 7 to 10 days.

 

A trip to the Baltic Sea

 

Last weekend we went on our first trip away since February. Destination: the Fischland-Darss peninsula on the Baltic Sea, one of our favourite weekend escapes. It’s a great place for walking, cycling and enjoying nature, due to the combination of long white beaches, sand dunes, green forests and lagoons. Hotels in Germany have been gradually reopening since the end of May. In the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where we went, hotels are restricted to 60% of capacity and staff are required to wear masks. It was difficult to find a room, as most places were fully booked, so we ended up paying more than usual. Still, after months of lockdown it was worth it. We could even enjoy a buffet breakfast at an allocated time slot. When we checked in to the hotel, unfortunately only 8 am or 10:45 am were available so we opted for the earlier time. It wasn’t a typical buffet, as we had to wait in turn at a distance for someone to serve us behind a plastic barrier and hand our plates over at the end. I’m sure people end up eating less when they have to ask for food rather than help themselves. Perhaps this buffet-style breakfast is here to stay. We enjoyed our first swim since the winter holidays; the indoor pool was open, but surprisingly quiet. There were plenty of people on the beach and a handful of very brave swimmers in the sea, naked naturally. In Eastern Germany nudism or FKK (Freikörperkultur) is very popular when swimming in lakes or in the sea, whatever the weather.