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First German state ends coronavirus social distancing requirements

The east German state of Thuringia will be the first in Germany to scrap social distancing requirements put in place to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

First German state ends coronavirus social distancing requirements
Outdoor diners in Apolda, Thuringia on May 15th. Photo: DPA

A new order was approved by the state cabinet Tuesday and is set to go into effect on Saturday, June 13th.

It will then no longer be a requirement that only two households, or a maximum of 10 people, can meet – and instead will be a recommendation.

Germany's federal and 16 state governments had originally agreed to extend the contact restrictions until June 29th, yet several states have already relaxed the rules. 

READ ALSO: Why it's still not possible to hug all your friends and family in Germany

Face masks will remain mandatory in shops and on public transportation. However, the new rule will allow even more facilities to reopen. 

They will include indoor swimming and leisure pools, as well as spas, saunas and cinemas, as long as their infection control plans are first approved by the state government.

Village festivals and funfairs will be permitted again in individual cases. However, the new regulation states that festivals “particularly suitable to promote the spread of the pandemic” will not be approved.

Brothels, disco and swingers clubs will remain closed. State-supported theatres and orchestras are not to resume their performances until after August 31st, when the German-wide ban on large events is slated to end. 

Thuringia state premier Bodo Ramelow (of Die Linke/The Left) had already spoken out in favour of a new strategy at the end of May, according to which there should no longer be any coronavirus restrictions, but rather local rules to be decided on by municipalities. 

Ramelow’s proposal faced criticism from those who feared the sudden relaxation could lead to an uptick in case numbers.

Yet it was also met with approval, with some arguing that the state has shown very few new cases and voluntary measures could keep the virus from spreading.

In the last seven days, Thuringia has reported 72 coronavirus cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, and has reported 3,100 overall.

READ ALSO: First German state set to end coronavirus restrictions in early June

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HEALTH

Could there be a new wave of Covid-19 in Germany this autumn?

It’s back again: amid sinking temperatures, the incidence of Covid-19 has been slowly rising in Germany. But is this enough to merit worrying about the virus?

Could there be a new wave of Covid-19 in Germany this autumn?

More people donning face masks in supermarkets, friends cancelling plans last minute due to getting sick with Covid-19. We might have seen some of those familiar reminders recently that the coronavirus is still around, but could there really be a resurgence of the virus like we experienced during the pandemic years?

According to virologists, the answer seems to be ‘maybe’: since July, the number of people newly infected with Covid-19 has been slowly rising from a very low level.

According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), nine people per 100,000 inhabitants became newly infected in Germany last week. A year ago, there were only around 270 reported cases.

Various Corona variants are currently on the loose in the country. According to the RKI,  the EG.5 (also called Eris) and XBB.1.16 lines were each detected in the week ending September 3rd with a share of just under 23 percent. 

The highly mutated variant BA.2.86 (Pirola), which is currently under observation by the World Health Organisation (WHO), also arrived in the country this week, according to RKI. 

High number of unreported case

The RKI epidemiologists also warned about a high number of unreported cases since hardly any testing is done. They pointed out that almost half of all registered sewage treatment plants report an increasing viral load in wastewater tests.

The number of hospital admissions has also increased slightly, but are still a far cry from the occupation rate amid the pandemic. Last week it was two per 100,000 inhabitants. In the intensive care units, only 1.2 percent of all beds are occupied by Covid-19 patients.

Still, a good three-quarters (76.4 percent) of people in Germany have been vaccinated at least twice and thus have basic immunity, reported RKI. 

Since Monday, doctors’ offices have been vaccinating with the adapted vaccine from Biontech/Pfizer, available to anyone over 12 years old, with a vaccine for small children set to be released the following week and one for those between 5 and 11 to come out October 2nd.

But Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has so far only recommended that people over 60 and those with pre-existing conditions get vaccinated.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Who should get a Covid jab this autumn in Germany?

“The pandemic is over, the virus remains,” he said. “We cannot predict the course of coming waves of corona, but it is clear that older people and people with pre-existing conditions remain at higher risk of becoming severely ill from Covid-19”

The RKI also recommended that people with a cold voluntarily wear a mask. Anyone exhibiting cough, cold, sore throat or other symptoms of a respiratory illness should voluntarily stay at home for three to five days and take regular corona self-tests. 

However, further measures such as contact restrictions are not necessary, he said.

One of many diseases

As of this autumn, Covid-19 could be one of many respiratory diseases. As with influenza, there are no longer absolute infection figures for coronavirus.

Saarbrücken pharmacist Thorsten Lehr told German broadcaster ZDF that self-protection through vaccinations, wearing a mask and getting tested when symptoms appear are prerequisites for surviving the Covid autumn well. 

Only a new, more aggressive mutation could completely turn the game around, he added.

On April 7th of this year, Germany removed the last of its over two-year long coronavirus restrictions, including mask-wearing in some public places.

READ ALSO: German doctors recommend Covid-19 self-tests amid new variant

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