Germany is planning to close many shops and schools, and further limit social contacts in an effort to drive down the rate of Covid-19 infections that have remained significantly high in recent weeks.
Chancellor Angela Merkel has recently said that a lockdown is about to be implemented in Germany, she and the governors of Germany’s 16 states had agreed up on this. The country’s lockdown measures will be from December 16 to January 10 to stop the exponential rise of Covid-19 cases.
“We are forced to act, and we’re acting too,” Merkel told reporters in Berlin.
The November’s restrictions failed to significantly reduce the number of new infections, she said.
Companies are also asked to allow and encourage employees to work from home or offer extended company holidays under the new measures.
“That would help to implement the principle ‘we’re staying at home’,” according to the policy paper agreed by Merkel and state premiers.
20,200 newly confirmed cases were recorded in Germany along with 321 additional deaths yesterday, a high number for the weekend when many local authorities do not report figures.
With the exception of Christmas, the number of people allowed to meet indoors will remain restricted to five, not including children under 14.