A new requirement for people arriving at German airports to have submitted to Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing has been postponed from Sunday to Tuesday, according to Health Minister Jens Spahn.

Spahn said on Friday that the postponement would give airlines and individuals more time to prepare.

Germany is attempting to contain a severe third wave of coronavirus infections that it being driven mainly by more transmissible variants of the disease.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and the leaders of the country’s 16 states had previously decided that testing before departure would at some point become an entry requirement for flights to Germany.

However, the timeframe was unclear until now.

Currently only travellers coming from countries with particularly high infection rates must get tested before boarding.

“Flight crews will not be affected by the new requirement, travellers will have to bear the costs of the tests themselves,” the ministry said.