World News – AU – German to impose new coronavirus rules as number of cases increases unprecedented

Merkel says that if the speed of infection persists, the health care system will « reach the limit of its capacity » within a few weeks

Germany set to impose new coronavirus restrictions after record rise in infections

Contacts should be reduced to a maximum of two households, and no more than 10 people, Chancellor Angela Merkel and leaders of Germany’s 16 states decided in an emergency videoconference

Merkel said the country must act immediately to stop the spread of the virus « If the speed of this infection remains as it is, in a few weeks the system will be at the limit of its capacity We must act and immediately », She declared

The measures, which will be active from Monday and last until the end of November, include advising Germans to avoid « unnecessary private travel », including visits from relatives

Restaurants, bars, leisure facilities and cultural institutes, including opera houses and theaters, will have to close their doors, while schools and nurseries are expected to remain open, as will the majority of businesses and institutions. workplaces Stores and hairdressers will also be allowed to remain open

The measures, which must be reviewed after two weeks, are the most spectacular in months to cope with an exponential increase in infections Nearly 15,000 new infections in a 24-hour period were recorded on Wednesday morning, more than double from a week ago

Germany has been seen as relatively effective in its fight against the pandemic compared to many other countries in Europe, with a relatively low death rate of just over 10,000

But in recent weeks, parts of the country’s testing and traceability system have been increasingly overwhelmed.In Berlin, which has been seen for several weeks as a hotspot for the coronavirus, the system has reportedly practically failed. collapsed and those who tested positive were invited to contact their contacts themselves

Berlin Mayor Michael Müller said the new measures marked a « hard and bitter day » for Germany

Previously, Merkel had said measures were needed to tackle a situation that was at risk of spiraling out of control New infections in Germany double every seven to eight days, while the number of occupied intensive care beds has doubled every 10 days « We only need to double another four times and then the system is finished, » says -she

Merkel told state leaders that « every day counts », saying the more they do now, « the more time we buy for the Christmas holidays »

Heads of state have often been reluctant to acknowledge the urgency of the situation and last month Merkel was accused of alarmism after suggesting that infections could be over 19,000 a day over Christmas But this figure will probably be reached much sooner

The effect of the new measures on the health system should not be fully evident for 30 days

Olaf Scholz, the Minister of Finance, announced that the government would again dip into the country’s tax revenue to help mitigate the impact on businesses forced to close

He said small businesses would be paid up to 75% of their income for the same period last year, for the time they were forced to close, while large businesses are expected to receive up to 70% of the state The month-long lockdown is estimated to cost the state between € 7 billion and € 10 billion

In Berlin, thousands of people from the arts and hospitality industries have taken to the streets to protest what they see as the neglect of their sector, amid a growing sense of anger over political mismanagement

Flamenco dancers, DJs, hoteliers and waiters were among those who marched through the government quarter to call on leaders to respond to their plea for financial aid

Culture Minister Monika Grütters said the billions of euros that had already been poured into aid for the arts should be significantly increased

With private gatherings reduced to a maximum of two households and no more than 10 people, a debate was sparked over how the rules would be controlled

Home Secretary Horst Seehofer said he was in favor of random police checks to ensure people stick to limited gatherings at home The measures were widely described as  » lockdown lite « , although the government is reluctant to designate them as such, speaking instead of » wave breaking « 

Angela Merkel, Germany, coronavirus, lockdown