GERMANY COULD SEE NATIONWIDE HARD LOCKDOWN AS COVID CASES RISE SHARPLY: REPORTS

Sun 13 December 2020:

Germany is heading for a major new nationwide lockdown to stem the rapid spread of the coronavirus after health experts said that to wait until after Christmas to wind the country down could cost tens of thousands of lives and overwhelm hospitals.

The federal government could require shops, schools and day care centers to be closed from Wednesday, according to the Bild newspaper. There is still uncertainty over whether the heads of all of the federal states will cooperate, however.

The news comes ahead of a meeting between state and federal leaders on Sunday, to decide which course of action to take.

Leading politicians urged the government to act immediately to instigate what some media were calling a “blitz lockdown”.

Markus Söder, leader of the southern state of Bavaria, where cases have risen sharply in the past few days, said on Friday morning: “We have to act as soon as possible.” He said that every day counted, tweeting: “Why hesitate, when we know that it’s necessary? Which is why we need to push everything forward and act decisively. We need to wind everything down before Christmas.”

Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for stronger restrictions, ahead of Sunday’s discussion. “We must now, in the next few days, make very far-reaching, very drastic decisions,” Scholz said in Berlin on Saturday. The priority is “that we now help to reduce contacts. Therefore, Germany must again accept many restrictions.”

He also called for a swift closure of retail and other non-essential services. “This has to happen very quickly now,” he said.

Germany has been under a partial lockdown for the past six weeks, with bars, restaurants and other meeting points closed. However, the current measures have failed to sufficiently stem the rising rate of infection in the country.

Photo: Police officers take a man into custody during a protest in central Berlin against the coronavirus lockdown on public life. 25 April 2020

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