The German government said it was barring entry to seasonal workers from abroad from Wednesday to stem the coronavirus outbreak, potentially leaving farmers with a dire shortage of manpower to harvest crops.

 

"Seasonal and harvest workers will no longer be allowed to enter Germany within the framework of our border controls," a spokesman for the interior ministry told a Berlin press conference.

 

The ban will apply from 5pm and will be in place "until further notice", he said, and includes people from EU countries.