Covid-19: towards a toughening of measures in Germany?
The empty square in front of the Brandbourg Gate in Berlin on March 21, 2020, as the government asked citizens to stay at home.
AP - Markus Schreiber
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
Germany has been a good student in the class since the start of the pandemic with a more positive overall balance sheet than in other countries.
But the measures adopted to combat the second wave of Covid-19 this fall have not borne fruit.
A new meeting this Sunday, December 13 between Chancellor Angela Merkel and the regions will most likely lead to the adoption of measures reminiscent of those harder in the spring.
Publicity
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With our correspondent in Berlin,
Pascal Thibaut
“
The flop.
Why Germany has failed miserably
”.
The weekly
Der Spiegel
draws a very negative assessment of the stricter measures in place since early November and hardened since.
Unlike what has happened in other European countries, these
measures
have not made it possible to break the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The exponential growth of new infections has been halted.
But Germany broke negative records with as many as 30,000 new infections in one day.
And the death toll has increased significantly.
"Lockdown light"
The measures in Germany were less harsh than elsewhere.
"
Believing that you can fight the pandemic with a
light lockdown
is like thinking that you can lose weight by drinking diet coke
", comment ironic Internet users.
The federal government cannot impose anything on the regions, which have jurisdiction over health issues, and the compromise found avoided too harsh measures.
Today, everyone wants to change gear, probably before Christmas.
Regions have already decided to impose a curfew, want to close schools or all businesses.
While the Germans may have been disappointed with the promises made to them, polls show that many are calling for stricter measures.
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Also to listen: Vaccination against Covid-19: Germany is organizing for a national campaign
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Germany
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Health and medicine
Angela Merkel
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