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The corona restrictions will be extended until the beginning of January.

This was announced by Thuringia's Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (Die Linke) after the Bund-Länder-Round with Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU).

In the decision of the Corona summit, an extension until December 20 was stipulated for formal reasons, but the measures would then be extended again until the beginning of January.

The time limit results from Paragraph 28a of the Infection Protection Act, which only allows restrictions for four weeks.

"Nobody assumes that we will have open gas venues, restaurants or hotels by the new year," said Ramelow.

It is still a common goal to achieve the value of 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days.

Meanwhile, the federal states rejected far-reaching demands by the federal government for a strong equalization of teaching in schools.

According to information from participants, the group determined that hybrid lessons or alternating lessons in Corona hotspots should be possible from the 8th grade - but not nationwide.

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Because of the infections, Merkel had urged students and teachers to take further steps.

However, some countries insisted on their responsibilities in the more than seven-hour video slot.

They also doubted that schools are a crucial hotspot or cite organizational difficulties, for example for the division of classes.

The North German minister-presidents also point to falling infection numbers in their countries.

Ramelow reported that the topic was discussed for over an hour in the conference.

The Prime Minister of Thuringia announced that all children and young people in the particularly affected Thuringian district of Hildburghausen would be tested.

New guidelines for retail

There could be long lines in front of the supermarkets before Christmas.

The Prime Ministers and the Federal Government have also agreed to

apply a tiered procedure

in

retail

.

In stores with more than 800 square meters of sales area, only one person per 20 square meters should be allowed in the future.

So far it was one person per 10 square meters.

This is reported by several media citing groups of participants.

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For shops with less than 800 square meters of retail space, the previous regulation will remain.

In detail, the following is planned: Up to an area of ​​800 square meters, there should be no more than one person per 10 square meters - on the area exceeding 800 square meters, no more than one person per 20 square meters.

There

should not be

a general ban on

New Year's Eve fireworks

.

As reported, however, the federal states and municipalities should forbid firecrackers “in busy squares and streets” in order to avoid larger groups.

There is also talk of a recommendation to avoid New Year's Eve fireworks.

There should also be no public fireworks like at the Brandenburg Gate.

Contact restrictions tightened, exceptions for Christmas

According to information from the German Press Agency,

private gatherings

in December should be limited to one's own household and one other household, but in any case to a maximum of

five people

.

Children up to 14 years of age should be exempt from this.

Schleswig-Holstein wants to adhere to its own contact restrictions.

So far, meetings between members from up to two households with a maximum of ten people have been allowed.

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The

restrictions are to be relaxed

over

Christmas

, as had already become known.

From December 23rd, meetings “with close family or friends” should be possible, up to a maximum of

ten people in

total.

Associated children up to 14 years of age should be exempt from this.



According to information from participants, the exemption should apply “at the latest” until January 1st.

If this wording is retained, it would initially be unclear whether the relaxations will ultimately also apply over New Year's Eve.

The beginning of the Christmas holidays is still controversial

A nationwide extension of the

Christmas holidays

is still open

.

The federal states propose bringing the holidays forward to

December 19

, where this is not already the case.

Individual federal states such as Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia have already brought the start of their Christmas holidays forward.

The Chancellor, however, is ready for a nationwide holiday start on

December 16

.

The goal: the greatest possible reduction in contacts before the holidays, in order to prevent infections at Christmas as much as possible.

The prime ministers speak of a "self-quarantine".

In general, the Chancellor would like to see further changes in school operations in regions with particularly high numbers of infections.

For example, a permanent mask requirement should apply there from the seventh grade, including in class.

In addition, the lessons should start staggered in time in order to equalize the journey to the schools.

According to the ideas of the federal government, a more generous test option should also be offered for cold symptoms before Christmas in order to make encounters at Christmas time as safe as possible.