The German federal government and state governors agreed on Wednesday on a second wave of measures to combat the epidemic in the wake of the new crown epidemic in Germany. Starting next Monday, Germany will severely restrict people’s social interactions and close restaurants, theaters, and sports and cultural facilities.
The German federal government held a video conference with state governments at the chancellery on Wednesday to discuss and formulate emergency measures against the second wave of the epidemic, according to the German Broadcasting Union and the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. As of Monday, social interactions between people will be reduced to a minimum. Public gatherings of more than two families and ten people will be banned, and sports and cultural venues will be closed for four weeks. Restaurants, except for take-out, will also be closed for a month. Bundesliga matches may continue, but no spectators will be allowed. The government will provide some compensation for businesses and institutions that must close.
Unlike the spring restrictions, this time kindergartens, schools, industrial and handicraft companies and stores will not be closed. Retail stores and supermarkets will operate under sanitary measures. Sanitary measures include restricting the flow of customers. Each customer will be given a space of 25 square meters in the store.
The effectiveness of these measures will be evaluated in about two weeks, when Chancellor Merkel will again chair a meeting between the government cabinet and the governors of the states.
The new crown epidemic in Germany continues to deteriorate rapidly. On Wednesday, according to data released by the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin, the number of new infections in Germany approached more than 15,000 in a single day, reaching a new record of 14,964. The number of deaths rose by 85 to 10,183, bringing the total number of patients to 464,239. At this rate, the mathematical model suggests that in three to four weeks the number of new infections in Germany will exceed 100,000 per day.
Chancellor Merkel said, “It is important to prevent the health system from falling into disarray.” She said 75 percent of infections in Germany are untraceable, but the health system can still cope. But if the infections continue at their current rate, the health system will reach its limits within weeks. The German government’s goal is to have the outbreak under control by Christmas.
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