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Berlin (dpa) - In the middle of the harsh Corona winter, the Christmas days should bring a little relaxation: From December 23rd and at most until January 1st, ten people should be able to come together in family and friends, not counting children up to 14 years.
But before that there are further restrictions.
"We need another effort," stressed Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) after several hours of consultation with the prime ministers of the federal states.
"Patience, solidarity and discipline will be put to the test again."
Berlin's governing mayor Michael Müller appealed to the people's sense of responsibility.
"Making things possible does not mean that everything has to be used that is possible," said the SPD politician.
The end of the pandemic has not yet come.
"We are in a situation where it really is a matter of life and death in many areas."
Merkel said that one is very dependent on the citizens continuing to be “reasonable and show solidarity”.
"There is no signal to give the all-clear, on the contrary."
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Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) also called for restraint on the festive days and New Year's Eve.
"Anyone can help, really anyone," he said.
The federal and state governments want to reassess the situation before Christmas.
First of all:
PART-LOCKDOWN: Bars, restaurants, cultural and leisure facilities should remain closed until at least December 20th.
Wholesalers and retailers remain open, but with a mask requirement now also in front of retail stores and in parking lots.
In shops with a sales area of up to 800 square meters, there should be no more than one person per 10 square meters of sales area.
In the case of shops that are larger, a maximum of one person per 20 square meters of sales area is allowed to use the additional space.
CONTACT RESTRICTIONS: Private get-togethers with friends, relatives and acquaintances are to be limited to your own household and to one other household and in any case to five people, excluding children up to 14.
Schleswig-Holstein adheres to its own rules.
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MOUTH AND NOSE PROTECTION: Everyone has to wear a mouth and nose cover in closed rooms that are open to the public.
This also applies to public transport and lively public places - which are determined by the local authorities.
FIREWORKS: New Year's Eve fireworks in busy squares and streets are prohibited.
Basically, it is «recommended» to avoid fireworks at the turn of the year.
Saxony appeals to its own citizens to pay particular attention to minimum distances during the New Year's fireworks.
COMPANY HOLIDAYS: Employers are “urgently asked” to check whether production sites can close due to company holidays or generous home office solutions from December 23rd to January 1st.
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SCHOOLS AND KITAS: Childcare and schools should remain open.
It was agreed that a mask is required in class from the 7th grade, depending on the regional Corona numbers.
As a fuzzy border, "significantly more" than 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants are named here in the paper.
Students who tested positive and their classmates should immediately be placed in a five-day quarantine.
Anyone who then tests negative can end the quarantine.
PROTECTION OF RISK GROUPS AND QUICK TESTS: The protection of risk groups should be improved.
For people in need of care in institutions, there should be at least 30 rapid tests per month from December 1st.
RAIL TRANSPORT: In order to make travel safer, the «seating capacity» is to be increased significantly in order to allow even more distance between travelers.
The ability to reserve seats is to be restricted in parallel.
The «mask controls» are to be strengthened so that more long-distance trains are checked every day.
FINANCIAL AID: November aid for companies and institutions affected by the partial lockdown is to be continued in December.
The federal government is planning financial aid expected to be worth 17 billion euros, as the dpa learned.
City Council President Burkhard Jung showed understanding for the measures.
“It hurts that the partial lockdown has to continue.
Now, to reduce the contacts even further, demands a lot from us, ”he told the newspapers of the“ Funke Mediengruppe ”.
«But the Corona situation currently does not allow anything else.
The more we follow the rules now, the better we will hopefully get through the winter. "
He hoped for easing when vaccines are available.
The SPD health politician Karl Lauterbach told the "Funke" newspapers that the easing for Christmas and New Year's Eve was risky.
He hopes that this will not result in a “kick starter for the pandemic”.
"But the fear is that stricter rules for this time would not be accepted by the population either."
He admitted: “In fact, we have no way of effectively controlling the maintenance of the regulations.
So we have to appeal to the population - and see whether it works or not. "
The chairwoman of the Marburger Bund doctors' union, Susanne Johna, supported the appeal to stop the New Year's fireworks.
The clinics are already very stressed in the pandemic.
“The doctors in the emergency rooms will thank everyone who does not ignite rockets and who do without China bullies.
Serious injuries to hands and eyes have to be treated every time on New Year's Eve, and pop trauma are frequent consequences, ”she told the“ Funke ”newspapers.
In addition, there is pollution of the environment and health from fine dust.
"We should save all of that this time, please."
In the newspapers of the editorial network in Germany, Johna demanded that the federal and state governments should finally ensure that sufficient rapid tests were available for hospital staff.
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The chairman of the Education and Science Union (GEW), Marlis Tepe, called the resolutions for the school sector "disappointing and risky".
She told the editorial network in Germany that she would have liked more decisions about alternating lessons, i.e. the division of classes into groups of pupils who are then taught alternately at home and at school.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 201126-99-467540 / 3