The measure came into effect just hours ago, and it will remain until at least the 17th of February.

Berlin says the restrictions are necessary to prevent a surge in new infections.

The fear of new coronavirus mutations Israel in Germany.

It's also one of the main concerns for German authorities to prevent them from spreading fast in the country.

The government has now announced new travel restrictions.

The Interior Ministry has imposed an entry ban until the 17th of February for travelers from countries that are particularly affected by them.

Brazil, Ireland, Portugal, South Africa, the U.

K.

L.

S U two and a sua teeny mutations have not hit Germany as hard as other countries.

But all radio Hospital in Berlin was forced to halt admissions after several cases were found off the mutation first discovered in Britain, and health officials are stressing that the situation could deteriorate.

Way have to assume that if the more contagious variants continue to spread in this country, they will lead to even more cases in the near future, and the situation will probably get worse.

We must work together to prevent it.

That's my damn town, has recently reminds him for him none.

The travel ban is seen as a step in that direction, but it is still unclear how effective it could be.

Yes, for more.

Let's bring in VW's political correspondent Hans Brant's Hans.

Hello to you.

So we've been hearing the last couple of days that the incidents of coronavirus in Germany has in fact now fallen below 100 per 100,000 residents.

That's in a seven day period for the first time in months.

So why is the government imposing this travel ban now?

Well, the answer is fear.

Fear of these new mutations of the virus that were discovered in Brazil and South Africa and in Great Britain.

We've just heard how effective, how infectious thes these variants are.

They are said toe cause explosions off infections, for instance, in Portugal before that in Ireland, but also in Great Britain and Germany is very, very scared that the success that it has had in the last few weeks with bringing down the infection rate is endangered by these new variants.

That's why these travel restrictions have been imposed now, but We have to say this is in addition to travel restrictions that have bean in place for weeks already, everyone knows how difficult international travel has bean in the last couple of months, and that is also the case for travels between Germany and the rest of the world.

So these restrictions simply are on top of the restrictions that have been in existence already.

But they are the most severe that are possible preventing or prohibiting travel between these two countries.

These between Germany and these in fact, seven countries at the moment.

Alright, Hans.

But what does this mean for people who in fact, have to travel on a regular basis between Germany and one of the affected countries either, uh, to do business or to visit their family members?

Are they Bard is well, yes, indeed they are.

But there are very, very few exceptions to this.

People off German origin or rather, German citizens and people who are resident in Germany are allowed to travel into Germany.

But reasons such as regular travel between countries that have been prohibited and Germany are not allowed the exceptions concerned medical emergencies and emergencies in the families that such a death in the family exceptions, there are also for commercial travel for people who organized transport, in other words, road transports and those kind of things to keep the supply chains going.

But regular travel for personal or business reasons is prohibited.

Well, we should mention that this is a unilateral German band.

But hasn't Brussels been trying to discourage this?

Yes, indeed.

There have been attempts toe make to get to rules that are unified across the European Union.

The interior ministers ministers met this week to try and do that, that it was not successful.

And so various countries in Germany in Europe have bean imposing their own bands.

Germany, but also France has just decided not to allow any travel outside the European Union.

Dull Jim has imposed a complete ban on tourists travel for its citizens, and we also see this in other countries.

In Canada, for instance, which was closed on traveled to the South this week.

So these kind of trouble bands are widespread at the moment.

Everyone is afraid off these new variants off the virus.

D.

W s political correspondent, Hans Bronze.

Thank you so much.

Well, it's Hans just mentioned France has also announced international travel restrictions.

So starting Sunday, people arriving on non essential travel from outside the EU will be barred entry to that country.

The French government says it's responding to the virus variants first detected in Britain and South Africa.

France is also increasing its internal restrictions.

Non essential shops are too close and police checks and rule breakers are being increased.