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ANGELA MERKEL

Covid-19: Germany to impose fines on people who give false contact details in restaurants

Germany is tightening rules on contact tracing with plans to fine people who provide false contact details in restaurants and bars.

Published: 29 September 2020 16:31 CEST
Covid-19: Germany to impose fines on people who give false contact details in restaurants
People enjoying beers and food in Munich. Photo: DPA

Under new rules, diners and bar-goers face paying a €50 fine if they submit fake or incomplete contact details, according to DPA.

People in Germany have to give their contact details if they are in a restaurant, cafe or similar establishment so that if there is an outbreak, they can be contacted and told to self-isolate and get tested.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and the state premiers of Germany's 16 states have been discussing how to deal with coronavirus in the colder months.

In view of the continuing high number of Covid-19 cases, it has been decided that no further reopening steps on public life are to be allowed at the moment.

Instead, rules will be tightened, such as the fine for giving false contact details. Merkel and the state leaders have been discussing a host of further measures.

READ ALSO: These are Germany's proposed new rules for coronavirus

 

More public awareness

In a bid to step up the fight against Covid-19 and increase awareness among the German public, two more letters are to be added to the “AHA” (which stands for Abstand halten, Hygiene und Alltagsmaske) formula that Germany advises for keeping distance, hygiene and everyday masks.

The two extra letters are “C” to stand for 'Corona Warning App' and “L” to stand for “Lüften” or ventilation.

“Regular airing in all private and public rooms can considerably reduce the risk of infection,” says the draft proposals.

So far, according to DPA information, there have not been any major differences of opinion during the meeting. However, clashes are likely to arise when it comes to setting the maximum numbers of participants in celebrations in private and public spaces.

Member comments

  1. There should be no group gatherings AT ALL. 25 people is too much. Needs to be small family gatherings only or meeting one or two friends. Not 20.

  2. Agreed, but certain parts of the Community feel that it is more important to have huge numbers of guests than just get married, for instance.

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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?

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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