Unlike during the first coronavirus lockdown in spring, leaders from both Germany and the Czech Republic are pushing for their border to remain open.
Bavarian State Premier Markus Söder and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš want to keep the border open even if the number of coronavirus infections in both countries continues to rise.
“Closing the borders would not be of great benefit in fighting the pandemic, but rather would carry significant negative consequences”, said Söder on Wednesday in Munich after a video conference with Babiš.
He said that protective measures as face masks and minimum distances now applied on both sides of the border and that mutually sealing off access would mainly impede the flow of trade and service workers.
Medical care would also be affected, said Söder, pointing out that many Czech commuters work in the care sector in Bavaria.
In order to help Germany’s neighbouring country, which is particularly hard hit by the second wave of the pandemic, Söder also offered to make 100 intensive care hospital beds available to Czech coronavirus patients.
The two politicians also talked about cross-border infrastructure projects such as a 5G mobile phone corridor between Prague and Munich and the expansion of railway lines.
Bavaria is currently the German state most affected by the coronavirus pandemic, having reported 2,845 cases within the last 24 hours as of Wednesday afternoon.
