Germany: in the face of new variants of Covid-19, the authorities extend the containment measures

Department store closed in Berlin on January 5, 2021 © AFP / Odd Andersen

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2 min

In Germany, faced with the risks associated with several new variants of Covid-19, confinement has been extended and even reinforced.

After several hours of negotiations, this Tuesday, January 19, the federal and regional authorities announced the extension of these measures until February 14, 2020.

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With our correspondent in Berlin,

Delphine Nerbollier

The decision was expected: the Germans are called on not to relax their efforts in the face of the Covid-19 epidemic.

Until mid-February, they will have to continue to limit their contacts to a maximum of one person outside the members of their household.

Schools and non-essential stores remain closed and telecommuting becomes mandatory for two months, where possible.

Reduce contamination in public transport

The authorities also want to reduce contamination in public transport by increasing the frequency of bus and train traffic.

Great novelty, in these same buses, subways and trains, as well as in stores, the Germans will now have to wear either a surgical mask or an FFP2 mask.

Fabric masks are no longer recommended.

This also applies to workplaces.

Lower the incidence rate

No general curfew.

And on the other hand, only Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg have imposed such a measure.

The stated objective is to see the incidence rate drop drastically to reach the bar of 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants.

It currently stands at 131.

To read also: Coronavirus: Germany exceeds 40,000 dead

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  • Germany

  • Coronavirus

  • Health and medicine

  • Transport

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