Germany will go into partial lockdown starting today to curb the surge of COVID-19. In a televised address, German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced the new lockdown measures saying the Federal Government had come to an agreement with states to lock down the entire country from Monday for at least two weeks.As Germany began its a partial lockdown, Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that a difficult winter awaits. She called on Germans to follow the rules so the country would be able to have “a bearable December.”This lockdown is less intense compared to the one in the spring which left the German economy and society to a standstill.
Chancellor Angela Merkel addressed Germans on Monday, answering reporters’ questions and making her case for the partial four-week lockdown. Merkel urged for full compliance with new restrictions in order to achieve a “turnaround” in the fight against the pandemic.
”We will try to do everything politically so that this is limited to November,” Merkel said.
But she warned that success is also “dependent on the cooperation, acceptance and understanding of the people in our country for this to work.”
“It’s in everyone’s own hands to make this November a joint success, a turnaround,” she told reporters during a news conference.
Moving closer to ‘acute emergency situation’
Merkel took a serious tone in explaining why the government had closed restaurants, bars, cultural and leisure activities. She said the number of new infections within 14 days had tripled, while the number of intensive care patients doubled in ten days and continues to rise.
The chancellor warned that Germany is currently experiencing exponential growth in the number of new infections, “which is leading us towards an acute emergency situation in our hospitals.”
Moreover, Merkel said that there were more and more people “who are infected and walk around without having been warned” because the health authorities can no longer keep up with the contact tracing.
Merkel: ‘No lonely Christmas’
If the lockdown fulfills its goal of curbing the virus spread in November, “then we are creating conditions to have a bearable December, of course still with corona-rules … but with more leeway,” she said. But she warned that even if the country is able to gain control over the current spike in coronavirus infections, the pandemic is far from over.
“Throughout the winter months, we will have to limit private contacts,” she said. “The light at the end of the tunnel is still far away,” Merkel added, noting that Germans will likely need to continue to be patient through the middle of March next year.
Parties and large events will still be banned after November, according to the chancellor. But family reunions for Christmas would be allowed, provided that the number of infections is under control.
“It will be a Christmas under coronavirus conditions, but it should not be a lonely Christmas,” Merkel said. At the same time, she ruled out “lavish New Year’s Eve parties.”
Here are the new restrictions:
Restaurants and bars will remain close with the exception for take-away
All large events, gathering remain cancelled
While travel is not banned the government has advised people to not travel if not necessary
Overnight stays in hotels for tourist purposes has been banned
The government has directed companies to encourage work from home
Meetings in public will be restricted to just two households of up to 10 people total, reported DW
Theaters and cinemas, swimming pools, gyms and saunas will be closed
Sports events have been allowed minus the crowd
