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BERLIN

Heroes’ welcome for Germany’s almost-champions

Germany's luckless football team arrived back home on Monday for a heroes' welcome parade in central Berlin despite losing 1-0 to Spain in the final of Euro 2008.

Heroes' welcome for Germany's almost-champions
Photo: DPA

“Even if you are vice-champions it is worth celebrating,” said student Richard, 24, who drove for four hours from the German state of North-Rhine Westphalia to get to Berlin for Sunday’s match – “which was definitely worth it,” he said.

“Lots of people came specially to Berlin for the match and now they are staying here for the team,” he said.

Huge crowds were in place to welcome Joachim Löw’s team around the historic Brandenburg Gate, where some 600,000 people had watched Sunday’s match beamed in live from Vienna onto giant screens. A fire truck at Berlin’s Tegel airport, however, sprayed down the wrong jet in an attempt to welcome the team.

Berlin and other cities had been raucous seas of flags, wigs and Hawaiian-style necklaces – all in the German black, red and gold – for the nail-biting game, the climax to three weeks of summer football fever.

Huge crowds had turned out under sunny skies to cheer “Deutschland! Deutschland!” in an orgy of flag-waving national pride in a country now much more comfortable with patriotism ever since the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Tens of millions had been glued to their televisions as the country ground to a halt, with even German automakers like Daimler, Volkswagen and Audi shutting down production so their workers could follow the game.

Some 72 percent of fans had predicted victory for Michael Ballack, Bastian Schweinsteiger and company, according to a poll in the mass circulation Bild am Sonntag.

But it was not to be, with Spanish striker Fernando Torres’s 33-minute stunner enough to win his team its first silverware in 44 years.

“The team fought well but it was not enough,” Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said on Monday.

In contrast to Madrid where fans partied through the night, central Berlin emptied swiftly after the game as despondent fans headed back home – hopeful, however, that their team can do better in 2010 in South Africa.

“We were third in the World Cup, now second in the European Championship. But the next World Cup we are going to win,” 25-year-old Fred predicted after the game, his cheek painted in the national colours.

The city’s police, which had deployed 1,600 extra officers for the game, arrested just 65 people and said that on the whole the event had passed off peacefully.

The only major incident reported was in Lower Saxony in the economically depressed east, where 25 police were injured in clashes with drunken, disappointed fans. Sixty people were arrested.

Merkel herself, a regular feature in the stands ever since the 2006 World Cup, was in the stands in Vienna on Sunday along with President Horst Köhler but was not in Berlin to meet the team, her spokesman said.

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BERLIN

EXPLAINED: Berlin’s latest Covid rules

In response to rapidly rising Covid-19 infection rates, the Berlin Senate has introduced stricter rules, which came into force on Saturday, November 27th. Here's what you need to know.

A sign in front of a waxing studio in Berlin indicates the rule of the 2G system
A sign in front of a waxing studio indicates the rule of the 2G system with access only for fully vaccinated people and those who can show proof of recovery from Covid-19 as restrictions tighten in Berlin. STEFANIE LOOS / AFP

The Senate agreed on the tougher restrictions on Tuesday, November 23rd with the goal of reducing contacts and mobility, according to State Secretary of Health Martin Matz (SPD).

He explained after the meeting that these measures should slow the increase in Covid-19 infection rates, which was important as “the situation had, unfortunately, deteriorated over the past weeks”, according to media reports.

READ ALSO: Tougher Covid measures needed to stop 100,000 more deaths, warns top German virologist

Essentially, the new rules exclude from much of public life anyone who cannot show proof of vaccination or recovery from Covid-19. You’ll find more details of how different sectors are affected below.

Shops
If you haven’t been vaccinated or recovered (2G – geimpft (vaccinated) or genesen (recovered)) from Covid-19, then you can only go into shops for essential supplies, i.e. food shopping in supermarkets or to drugstores and pharmacies.

Many – but not all – of the rules for shopping are the same as those passed in the neighbouring state of Brandenburg in order to avoid promoting ‘shopping tourism’ with different restrictions in different states.

Leisure
2G applies here, too, as well as the requirement to wear a mask with most places now no longer accepting a negative test for entry. Only minors are exempt from this requirement.

Sport, culture, clubs
Indoor sports halls will off-limits to anyone who hasn’t  been vaccinated or can’t show proof of recovery from Covid-19. 2G is also in force for cultural events, such as plays and concerts, where there’s also a requirement to wear a mask. 

In places where mask-wearing isn’t possible, such as dance clubs, then a negative test and social distancing are required (capacity is capped at 50 percent of the maximum).

Restaurants, bars, pubs (indoors)
You have to wear a mask in all of these places when you come in, leave or move around. You can only take your mask off while you’re sat down. 2G rules also apply here.

Hotels and other types of accommodation 
Restrictions are tougher here, too, with 2G now in force. This means that unvaccinated people can no longer get a room, even if they have a negative test.

Hairdressers
For close-contact services, such as hairdressers and beauticians, it’s up to the service providers themselves to decide whether they require customers to wear masks or a negative test.

Football matches and other large-scale events
Rules have changed here, too. From December 1st, capacity will be limited to 5,000 people plus 50 percent of the total potential stadium or arena capacity. And only those who’ve been vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19 will be allowed in. Masks are also compulsory.

For the Olympic Stadium, this means capacity will be capped at 42,000 spectators and 16,000 for the Alte Försterei stadium. 

Transport
3G rules – ie vaccinated, recovered or a negative test – still apply on the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams and buses in Berlin. It was not possible to tighten restrictions, Matz said, as the regulations were issued at national level.

According to the German Act on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, people have to wear a surgical mask or an FFP2 mask  on public transport.

Christmas markets
The Senate currently has no plans to cancel the capital’s Christmas markets, some of which have been open since Monday. 

According to Matz, 2G rules apply and wearing a mask is compulsory.

Schools and day-care
Pupils will still have to take Covid tests three times a week and, in classes where there are at least two children who test positive in the rapid antigen tests, then tests should be carried out daily for a week.  

Unlike in Brandenburg, there are currently no plans to move away from face-to-face teaching. The child-friendly ‘lollipop’ Covid tests will be made compulsory in day-care centres and parents will be required to confirm that the tests have been carried out. Day-care staff have to document the results.

What about vaccination centres?
Berlin wants to expand these and set up new ones, according to Matz. A new vaccination centre should open in the Ring centre at the end of the week and 50 soldiers from the German army have been helping at the vaccination centre at the Exhibition Centre each day since last week.

The capacity in the new vaccination centre in the Lindencenter in Lichtenberg is expected to be doubled. There are also additional vaccination appointments so that people can get their jabs more quickly. Currently, all appointments are fully booked well into the new year.

 

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