From the DW:
“Coronavirus:
Germany extends lockdown with plan to relax restrictions”
German
Chancellor Angela Merkel announced on Wednesday evening a plan to relax
COVID-19 restrictions, including conditions to reopen businesses. Merkel made the announcement following a
meeting with the 16 state premiers on Wednesday that lasted more than nine
hours. The federal government announced
that the lockdown has been extended until at least March 28.
The
five-step plan
Step one:
Some school classes (albeit at states' individual discretion), daycare, and
hairdressers reopen. This step already took place on Monday, March 1.
Step two,
starting March 8: Bookstores and florists can reopen with the condition of one
customer per 10 square meters. Contact-based professions, such as massage
practices, are also allowed to reopen with a negative test result.
Step three,
starting March 8 at the earliest: If the recorded cases are less than 50 per
100,000 people, public spaces such as museums, zoos and gardens can reopen, as
well as retail businesses with at least 10 square meters of space per customer.
Up to 10 people can play non-contact outdoor sports. If the incidence rate is
between 50 to 100, access to spaces such as museums and retail businesses would
be on a pre-booking basis, with at least 40 square meters per customer in
shops. A maximum of five people, from no more than two households, could then
play non-contact outdoor sports.
Step four,
starting March 22 at the earliest: If the rate remains under 50, outdoor
dining, theaters, concert venues, cinemas and opera houses can reopen. People
could then practice non-contact sports indoors and contact sports outdoors. If
the infection rate is between 50 to 100, outdoor dining would only be allowed
on a pre-booking basis.
Step five,
starting April 5 at the earliest: If the infection rate remains under 50, up to
50 people can gather for outdoor recreational events, and sports restrictions
will be lifted. If the infection rate is between 50 to 100, shops can reopen
with at least 10 square meters per customer. Outdoor non-contact sports and
indoor contact-based exercises are allowed.
Accelerating
vaccination and testing Germany's top officials said after Wednesday's
negotiations that some 200,000 vaccinations are currently administrated daily. General practitioners and specialist
doctors' vaccination will begin in late March or early April as Germany
receives more doses. Merkel also
said that Germany's Standing Committee on Vaccination was likely to reverse a
previous decision that bans the use of AstraZeneca jab for people over 65. Health Minister Jens Spahn said Germany
would speed up the vaccination process in the next few days after the
committee's decision on the AstraZeneca jab. Merkel also said rapid testing showed
"with good accuracy whether someone is infectious on a daily basis."
The rapid tests are set to be accessible and free of charge starting March 8.
Relaxing
gathering restrictions The federal
government said that starting March 8, people from two households will be
allowed to gather in groups of up to five people; children under the age of 14
are not included in that count and can take the true figure beyond five. If
the regional incidence remains below 35, up to 10 people from three households
could then gather. However, the
government still encouraged people to maintain a "social bubble" and
limit interactions as much as possible.
Some restrictions
already lifted Most stores have been closed since December 16. Restaurants,
bars, sports and leisure facilities have been closed since November 2. Germany
moved ahead with the first reopening steps this week. On Monday, hairdressers
opened after two-and-a-half months. The same day, some German states also
allowed businesses such as florists and hardware stores to open.
^ This is a little confusing. I wonder how the German
Government are making sure everyone knows and understands this 5 step plan. ^
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