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HEALTH

Berlin to fine people who flout coronavirus face mask rules

It is mandatory to wear a face covering in certain public places in Berlin, such as on transport. Now the Senate has voted to impose fines on those who refuse to wear them.

Published: 23 June 2020 17:39 CEST
Berlin to fine people who flout coronavirus face mask rules
People wearing face masks on the Berlin U-Bahn in April. Photo: DPA

The local government voted on Tuesday June 23rd to slap €50 fines on people who don't wear a face mask when it is mandatory to do so, such as when travelling on public transport or in shops.

The fines will range from €50 to €500, reported the Berliner Zeitung on Tuesday. The €500 fine would apply if someone repeatedly violated the obligation to wear masks.

People in Berlin – and in most other places in Germany – have to wear a covering over their face and mouth when travelling on public transport, in supermarkets or retail stores, in tattoo and beauty studios and in hairdressers.

Some states already impose fines but Berlin had held off from doing so.

Contact restrictions set to be scrapped

It came as contract restrictions in the capital were set to be scrapped. At the moment a maximum of five people from separate households or members of two households can meet in public.

In future Berliners will not face this limit. However, the distance rule (1.5 metres between people not from your household) will continue to apply, the Senate decided.

Mayor Michael Müller said people are still called upon to keep their contacts as low as possible in a bid to keep the spread of coronavirus under control.

The Berlin Senate also decided that more people will be allowed into shops at the same time. The previous guideline of a maximum of one person per 20 square metres in a retail area will change to one person per 10 square metres.

Meanwhile, the obligation to collect the details of punters in restaurants, cafes and other venues will remain in place. It means people can be contacted in case of a local outbreak.

Clubs are still not allowed to open.

READ ALSO: Paper, pens and face masks – what life is like as Germany eases out of coronavirus crisis

Events to be allowed gradually

More events will also be possible in Berlin step by step, according to DPA.

From August 1st, up to 500 participants will be allowed to meet in closed rooms. From September 1st, that number will go up to 750 and from October 1st, up to 1,000.

According to the phased plan, outdoor events can include up to 5,000 participants from September 1st. The prerequisite for any relaxation is that organisers have 'coronavirus infections permits' and that distance and hygiene rules are observed.

At present, the upper limits are lower for events such as cultural events, trade fairs, special markets, sporting events, business meetings or commercial leisure activities.

According to earlier Senate rules, up to 150 people are currently allowed in indoor rooms, and from June 30th that limit will climb to 300. For outdoor events, the number of participants is currently limited to 500 and from June 30th it will go up to 1,000.

Limits do not apply to demonstrations or church services as restrictions have already been removed.

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?

Published: 20 September 2023 12:05 CEST
Updated: 20 September 2023 22:22 CEST
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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