My sister is stuck in a hotel (Novotel) at the Munich Airport. She tested positive for Covid.

[Fla Dem]

She was on a 2 week trip with her church group and they are headed home today. She was the only one who tested positive, so will be there by herself until she is cleared. Her symptoms are mild. She thought she just had a light head cold.

She seems unclear on what happens next and the steps she has to take to receive clearance to fly home.

She knows she has to stay in quarantine for 5 days (someone said 10), but then what? She gets tested again? Does the airlines clear her or is there a government (US) agency that has to clear her? It was the US restrictions that denied her, not the airlines or Germany.

Has anyone been through this process of how does she get clearance and then gets rebooked on a flight?

Can't believe she was the only one in her group who tested positive. She's been vaccinated and double boosted AND she got the virus before the vaccination was available to her in CT.

She's a smart woman and has traveled a lot, but I think she's bit overwhelmed by her situation and being by herself.

Anyone have any thoughts or advice?

[underpants]

1. Marking because I'm curious

Contact the airline?
Embassy/consulate?

[Fla Dem]

4. Not sure. She talked to her son late yesterday and was uncertain about the procedure then.

Hopefully she has gotten some direction today. We're not sure how much help /advice her tour agency has given her. I get the feeling they just told her to quarantine for 5 days. You would think they would have a process in place, have instructions all printed out to give to the traveler when this happens to one of their clients.

[hlthe2b]

2. Airline representatives should be able to counsel her. Has she tried to call?

If language concerns are the issue, I can assure her that most Germans can speak English better than half of Americans.

[Fla Dem]

7. I agree, when they denied her boarding, they should have a prepared list of instructions

of what to do, who to contact, how to get rebooked. As I mentioned she's an experienced traveler, still this has to be an unnerving situation.

I am sure you're right about the Germans' fluency in English.

[Tomconroy]

3. Still seems a big headache to go to europe

I'm thinking of Ireland in the fall. We'll see.

[Fla Dem]

5. I agree, not to mention the added expense of a hotel room for at least 5 nights.

[CanonRay]

6. I just came home from France

You need proof of a negative Covid test taken the day before your flight home. We got a certificate from a pharmacy in Colmar, France. Presented it at the Delta counter. No check upon arrival in the US.

[Fla Dem]

8. Thanks for the info. Hope it's that easy for someone who had tested positive and was denied boarding

Also concerned about the rebooking. She was with a tour group, so hope they'll honor her ticket.

[CanonRay]

9. It's a mess, we were lucky...4 of us and all Neg.

[Fla Dem]

10. Update: On my sister's quarantine in Germany.

Spoke with my sister. She had quite a day yesterday. Was in Oberammergau, Germany where the group saw the Passion Play Sunday night. Said it was awesome!

Anyway, yesterday they got tested to be cleared for their trip home on Tuesday (today). My sister was the only one in the group who tested positive. The rest of the group left for Munich. However my sister couldn't travel with them and she couldn't stay in her hotel room as they were all booked and her reservation ended yesterday.

Her travel agent in CT finally got her a room in Munich at the airport for the next 5 days. But until that reservation was made she had to sit in a small conference room at her hotel. Finally around 5:00 a car came to pick her up and take her to the hotel in Munich.

She is now safely ensconced in a hotel room. She'll be there until she checks out on Saturday. She'll get tested for Covid on Friday. If negative she'll fly home on Saturday.

Thankfully she has a very diligent son who worked with her travel agent at home to book a new flight home and maybe making sure she doesn't pay any more than her original ticket. Also looking into reimbursement for the 5 nights she stayed in the hotel. Not sure how that works.

She sounded good, said she was pretty worried yesterday, but now there is nothing much she can do, so just going with the flow.