Germany declares the Netherlands as an “International Risk Area” for coronavirus

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in Germany has classified the Netherlands as an “International Risk Area.” This could mean that Germany may close its borders shared with its Dutch neighbour.

The RKI is a government-funded research institute for disease control and prevention. Its Dutch sister is the RIVM, which has been closely monitoring the coronavirus outbreak here in the Netherlands.

On the basis of the RKI’s decisions, the German government has closed parts of its borders with several neighbouring countries, according to NOS. In the meantime, strict border controls are carried out where crossing is still possible.

“International Risk Area”
This classification means that there is a persistent transmission of the virus between people, and that further spread of the novel coronavirus will likely have wide-reaching consequences.

Also included in this list are the United States, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain…