Germany to relax coronavirus border controls for farm workers

FILE PHOTO: Asparagus is harvested on a field in Weiterstadt near Frankfurt during the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Weiterstadt, Germany, March 18, 2020. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File Photo

HAMBURG (Reuters) - Germany will allow foreign workers into the country to help harvest fruit and vegetable crops on farms, the government said on Thursday, relaxing previous travel restrictions imposed to combat the new coronavirus.

Countries across the European Union, including Germany, have set up border controls to stem the spread of the virus, but with the side effect of preventing cross-border workers travelling to their jobs.