Germany extends virus travel warning till June

Germany is extending its worldwide travel warning until the middle of June, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters in Berlin on Wednesday that the warning, due to expire May 3, would be extended to June 14 because there has been no change to the danger posed by the pandemic.

Maas said he will discuss the matter with European partners in the coming weeks with the hope of coming up with a coordinated solution going ahead.

"Naturally we all hope we won't need this travel warning after June 14", Maas said, adding, "But that cannot be conclusively predicted at this stage."

Among other things, the official warning means that Germans who had booked vacations for the dates can get refunds, which could prove to be another blow to the devastated European travel industry.

Tour operators and travel agencies on Wednesday staged protests in various German cities to call for rescue measures.

The warning does not extend yet, however, into the summer school holidays.

The initial warning, usually reserved for war zones or disaster areas, was originally issued March 17 by the Foreign Ministry.