After a sudden change in Covid travel rules, dozens of British tourists were turned away at the Austrian border.
Border guards turned 110 Britons away from Innsbruck, Austria on 26 December after they failed to follow the rules. One passenger described it as a “complete mess”.
Austria tightened entry rules for new visitors to the country just a few days before. They required that all applicants submit a PCR testing result that had not been more than 48 hours ago. However, the government website did not have the updated information.
Previously, the rule was that the PCR test had to be at least 72 hours old. Some Brits may have had an older test while others are being caught by the new rule that requires proof of booster vaccination.
Numerous British tourists who arrived in Austria in December 26th were denied entry to Innsbruck due to Covid changes.
110 Brits (pictured) arrived at Innsbruck with PCR results that were either too old or lacking evidence of a Covid boost shot.
According to BBC, seventy-seven tourists who stopped at Innsbruck could fly back home that day in a return aircraft equipped with extra seats.
Another 40 people were put under arrest and made to stay the night at a hotel. They then flew back home that day.
Out of 40 individuals placed under hotel quarantine for negative results, twelve were allowed to undergo PCR testing again and carry on with their vacations.
It’s believed that the majority of people who were allowed to test for new exams came from families with children.
Franz Horl from the People’s Party of opposition described the tourist conditions as being ‘neither humane nor professional’.
He stated that it was wrong to allow people in during the holiday season, then place them under police surveillance at a hotel. After they are gone, they should be reimbursed.
Horl indicated that while he supported the rules and noted Britain’s Omicron rate, he disagreed with them. However, he said that the manner in which the situation was handled had been ‘botched.
Mike Audus (a Twitter user caught in the chaos) described scenes at Innsbruck as ‘carnage’ and stated that British arrivals were being rejected by police.
He tweeted, “Austrian Embassy Websites and Others Not Up To Date,” ‘Complete disconnect/shambles.’
Austria is a well-known ski destination and reported that it had not updated the guidance posted on its Embassy website. This caught tourists by surprise.
Austria was placed in a Covid lockdown earlier this month to lessen the number of cases. However, measures were lifted after only a few weeks. The government also intends to introduce a mandate for vaccines next year.
Austria, which is popular for its skiing, has tightened entry regulations to British travelers over concerns about the Omicron variant.
In Switzerland, British tourists were effectively expelled last month when double-vaccinated travelers had to wait for 10 days in quarantine.
France then implemented an immediate ban on Britons traveling to France for any reason, except essential. This was in effect from earlier this month.
MPs expressed anger at the decision, accusing Emmanuel Macron de playing politics to gain support for the French election of April.
Omicron Covid accounted for a higher proportion of France’s Covid cases in that time period than did those from Britain.
Germany also followed the lead, banning British immigrants except from returning German citizens.
Travel bans were implemented despite warnings by the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) that Omicron would become the dominant Covid form on the continent within weeks.
According to the agency, travel bans can be used in the initial weeks to stop the spread of this variant. However their value will quickly decrease once the community has spread and should therefore be removed.