This week, the Cabinet will adopt amendments to the Ordinance on Coronavirus Entry Regulations (Coronavirus-Einreiseverordnung).

This will ensure that persons accredited for the Euro 2020 Football Championship are exempt from the requirement to quarantine, even when arriving from virus variant areas of concern.

Federal Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer said: "The European Football Championship is a major sporting event which the whole world will be watching, and Germany will help to make it a success. We have had good experience with our hygiene measures for football matches in the Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League, and for other sports as well. We will be sending our athletes to the Olympics in Tokyo. At Euro 2020 we will organise the teams in such a way as to prevent the spread of infection."

The exemption will apply to all persons accredited by the relevant organising committees to participate in international sporting events. This also includes persons involved in the preparation, implementation and follow-up work for those events. All persons falling within this category will be exempt from the requirement to quarantine, as well as from the ban on transport from virus variant areas of concern. However, they must still comply with strict social distancing and hygiene protocols, including daily testing.

The exemption to the requirement to quarantine will initially remain valid up to 28 July 2021.