(Fighting against new crown pneumonia) German ice cream factory gathers more than 200 people infected and extends entry restrictions to early March

  China News Agency, Berlin, February 17 (Reporter Peng Dawei) An ice cream factory in Osnabrück, Germany, recently broke out a cluster of new crown virus infections. As of the 16th, 210 people have been confirmed.

The factory has been closed and the local health department is looking for close contacts.

The German government announced on the same day that it would extend the entry restrictions for people from areas with severe strains of the new crown variant, such as the United Kingdom, until early March.

The picture shows the famous shopping street of Berlin on Kurfürstendamm.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Peng Dawei

  The German disease control agency announced on the 16th that the newly diagnosed and the death toll were 3856 and 528 respectively.

According to real-time data from Germany's "Times Online", as of 21:00 local time on the 16th, a total of 2,353,638 people were diagnosed, 2,140,866 people were cured, and 66,533 people died in Germany.

As of that day, Germany had received a total of 4,284,554 doses of vaccine, of which 2,813,732 had received the first dose and 1,470,822 had received the second dose.

  The ice cream factory where the outbreak occurred was the Froneri ice cream factory in Osnabrück, Lower Saxony, Germany.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Social Affairs of Lower Saxony told the media that this cluster infection is the largest in the state so far, and its severity is comparable to the cluster infection in a slaughterhouse last year.

It is reported that a quarter of the approximately 850 employees of the plant have been diagnosed with the infection, and two of the cases were infected with the "B.1.1.7" mutant strain that first appeared in the UK.

  The plant will be closed until February 26.

The authorities are now looking for close contacts of the confirmed person.

It is not clear what the source of infection in this cluster of infections was.

  On the same day, the German Federal Government passed a resolution to extend the current entry ban on people from "new crown mutant virus areas" such as the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, Portugal, the Czech Republic, and some parts of Austria to March 3.

This regulation only allows foreigners with German nationality or a domicile in Germany to enter. A few cases such as medical workers, transit passengers and truck drivers are also allowed to enter.

  German Interior Minister Seehofer stated that, as a country located in the heart of Europe, the implementation of border controls is “always an absolutely special situation”. “We will return to normal conditions as soon as possible, but the current control measures are essential to safeguard our It is necessary for health."

(Finish)