German provinces demanded that the government tighten restrictions on arrivals to the country and suspend the reception of arrivals from the United Kingdom to curb the "Omicron" mutant.
During Saturday's meeting via video link, the health ministers of the 16 German provinces called for the mandatory imposition of a BCR examination that does not exceed the 48-hour period for travelers aged six and over.
This procedure is currently applied to travelers aged 12 years and over, arriving from countries severely affected by this new mutation of the virus, and therefore rapid antibiotic examinations will no longer be acceptable.
"We must also delay as long as possible the spread of this 'worrying' and 'fast-spreading' mutation," said a statement by Bavarian Health Minister Klaus Holechek.
For his part, the new German Minister of Health, Karl Lauterbach, welcomed the appeal, and said at the conclusion of the meeting in which he participated, "the more we can delay the time when we will be under the control of Omicron, the better it will be."
The German health ministers called for the United Kingdom to be included "quickly" in the category of regions most affected by the mutants, as Berlin currently lists South Africa and seven African countries.
Such a decision would virtually prevent entry to travelers from the UK, with the exception of German nationals.
Several European countries, including France, have previously taken measures to restrict entry to travelers from the United Kingdom.
Germany is experiencing a large-scale outbreak of Covid-19, and Lauterbach has previously warned that the country must prepare for a "major wave" of the outbreak of the "Omicron" mutant.