(Fighting against new crown pneumonia) Germany implemented a "hard lockdown" on the 16th: closing most shops, primary and secondary schools
China News Agency, Berlin, December 13 (Reporter Peng Dawei) As the new crown epidemic continues to worsen, German Chancellor Merkel urgently held a meeting with state governors on the 13th and made a resolution. From the 16th of this month to January 10th next year The “partial lockdown” was upgraded to a “hard lockdown”.
During this period, most retail shops except food supermarkets must be closed, primary and secondary schools and kindergartens will also be closed, and the number of people at each family gathering during Christmas will be strictly limited.
Merkel said that every effort must be made to act quickly to avoid overloading the medical system.
After the second round of the epidemic broke out, Germany has implemented the epidemic prevention measures known as "partial closure of the city" from November 2 to the present, which is lighter than the first wave of the epidemic in the first half of the year.
However, nearly a month and a half after the implementation of this measure, the German epidemic situation continued to tighten, and the number of newly diagnosed and sick deaths in a single day hit new highs one after another.
The resolution reached by the German Federal Government and the states on the same day included a series of measures to be taken from December 16 to upgrade the current epidemic prevention efforts.
Among them, a private party cannot exceed 5 people (not counting children under 14), and participants can only come from two different families.
During the Christmas period from December 24 to 26, each family is allowed to invite 4 outsiders to the party.
From December 31st to January 1st New Year's Eve of the following year, gatherings are prohibited throughout Germany, and fireworks are prohibited in public places.
During the period from December 16 to January 10 of the following year, except for the places selling food and other daily necessities, other shops must be closed; barber shops and other places must also be closed.
Catering companies are still allowed to provide take-out and delivery services, but dine-in meals are not allowed.
During the "hard lockdown" period, drinking in public places is not allowed, and offenders will be fined.
On the same day, the German Federal Government and the states urgently appealed to all people to avoid all domestic and cross-border travel for non-emergency reasons from now until January 10 next year.
The government promised to continue to provide funding to companies affected by the epidemic prevention measures.
Merkel said on the same day that the German government's goal is still to reduce the "average number of new diagnoses per 100,000 people in 7 days" to 50 people, and the epidemic prevention measures taken so far are not enough to achieve this goal.
"So we have to and are taking action now."
The German disease control department announced on the 13th that the number of new confirmed cases was 20,200. According to real-time data from Germany's "Times Online", as of 18:00 local time on the 13th, Germany had a total of 1,333,469 confirmed diagnoses, 967777 cured, and 22,274 deaths. (Finish)