Angela Merkel has been German Chancellor since 2005. -

Kay Nietfeld / AP / SIPA

Germany is considering further drastic measures to stem the second wave of the Covid-19 epidemic, with bars, restaurants and sports and cultural facilities being closed for one month, according to proposals by Angela Merkel's government which must be discussed Wednesday with the regions.

Faced with an "exponential dynamic" of new infections and a "very serious situation", these new restrictions would come into force on November 4, describes a draft agreement between the German chancellery and regional leaders.

This is, for German officials, to save the holiday season: the goal is "to quickly interrupt the dynamics of the infection so that no large-scale restrictions are necessary. acting personal contacts and economic activity during the Christmas season ”, specifies the draft agreement.

"The hope is to have the situation in hand by Christmas" and to avoid a total reconfinement of several weeks, underlines a source close to the government in Berlin, and this while most of the Christmas markets, so expensive to the Germans, were canceled due to the pandemic.

The Länder responsible for health

During this month of partial reconfinement, schools and nurseries would remain open.

Private meetings would be limited to the participation of a single group of guests from the same household.

The hotels would no longer be able to welcome customers for tourist stays.

Even if the country is doing - as in spring - still better than other European countries such as France or Spain, the map of Germany is gradually turning red.

New Covid-19 infections recently climbed above 10,000 daily cases, with a record high of 14,964 announced on Wednesday, according to the Robert Koch epidemiological watch institute.

The Chancellor has been constantly calling on the Germans to stay at home as much as possible.

The whole difficulty is to find a common line between Berlin and the leaders of the 16 German regions, which - federalism obliges - are competent in health matters.

A fortnight ago, Angela Merkel and the regional barons had decided to limit the number of participants to private meetings, considered as centers of spread, from a certain threshold of new infections and to extend the wearing of masks .

But they had failed to agree on a common strategy.

The Chancellor, a rare thing, had publicly declared herself "dissatisfied".

Faced with a "possible loss of control" in the face of the virus, we need "homogeneous rules and the courage as in the spring to make uncomfortable decisions", estimated Tuesday the head of government of the Saar (west), Tobias Hans ( CDU).

Som counterpart from Bavaria (south-east), the popular conservative Markus Söder, advocate of very restrictive measures against the virus, pleaded for "to act immediately and correctly rather than late and without conviction.

Better an effective therapy than a simple placebo ”.

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  • Angela Merkel

  • World

  • Covid 19

  • Confinement

  • Germany

  • Coronavirus