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Berlin extends lockdown measures by three weeks

Berlin has extended shutdown measures - which include stricter rules for meeting in the evening - until May 9th.

Published: 13 April 2021 17:44 CEST

Berlin extends lockdown measures by three weeks

Sealed of chairs by Berlin's Alexanderplatz. Photo: DPA

This means that the previous lockdown measures – which were set to expire on April 18th – will continue to apply.

According to the measures, only five people from two households, not counting children up to the age of 14, are allowed to meet. From 9pm to 5am, up to two people will be allowed to meet in public.

Restaurants will also remain closed – except for take-out and delivery – and hotels stays for tourism purposes will continue to be prohibited.

Covid-19 tests will also continue to be required for hairdressing and shopping appointments, and workplaces will need to offer their employees who come into the workplace two tests per week.

READ ALSO:

New nationwide rules

However, these rules are not likely to apply for much longer due to a new federal law which would see new national rules put in place.

The German government on Tuesday approved amendments to the Infection Protection Act with the aim of standardising the coronavirus rules in Germany.

READ ALSO: German government agrees on law for curfews and tougher measures nationwide

When the Act passes, it will set a nationwide Notbremse (emergency brake) for regions with an incidence of 100 or more new infections per 100,000 people within a week.

As of Tuesday, Berlin had a 7-day incidence of 127.6.

Berlin’s mayor Michael Müller of the Social Democrats (SPD) called for more flexibility in the national rules, pointing out that other factors and not just infection numbers should be taken into consideration.

He said that some of the countrywide measures were “overstated”, or were too strict, such as a curfew which prohibits being outside, except for emergency or work related situations, and should be adapted regionally.

Vocabulary

extend – verlängern

curfew/lockdown – (die) Ausgangssperre

not counting – nicht mitgezählt

overstate something – übers Ziel hinausschießen

We’re aiming to help our readers improve their German by translating vocabulary from some of our news stories. Did you find this article useful? Let us know.

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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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