Estonia plans to change its coronavirus entry regulations from 1 September.
Travellers from countries with an infection rate of more than 16 cases per 100,000 inhabitants should then be able to choose whether they want to be quarantined for 14 days in self-isolation or have a coronavirus test carried out on arrival in the Baltic EU country, the government in Tallinn decided on Tuesday.
So far, a quarantine requirement has applied in Estonia when entering from high-risk areas, which is now to be supplemented by a two-stage test procedure.
"This is a reliable alternative that enables essential travel and protects public health," Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu wrote on Facebook.
According to the government, travellers should be able to take a first test on arrival and must be tested again after a week at the earliest.
Test negative
If the initial test is negative, the person concerned can go to work or to shops. Unnecessary contacts should be avoided, according to a statement from the State Chancellery.
Estonia opened its borders to citizens from European countries with low levels of coronavirus infection in early June. For those arriving from countries with an infection rate of up to 15 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, there is a quarantine requirement.
Estonia has so far recorded 2,200 confirmed infections and 63 deaths related to the coronavirus.
