In an early Tuesday conversation after a lengthy video call with the country’s 16 state governors, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that the restrictions that would previously last until March 28 will now apply until April 18.
Coronavirus infections gradually increased in Germany as the more contagious variant first spotted in Britain became dominant, surpassing the country’s daily per capita number of cases.
“We basically have a new pandemic,” Merkel told reporters in Berlin.
“Essentially we have a new virus, of course of the same type, but with completely different characteristics,” she added. “Significantly more deadly, significantly more contagious (and) contagious for longer.”
Since their last meeting three weeks ago, in which the two parties had a multi-step plan to loosen restrictions, several states have tried to prevent it from getting locked into more difficult when the weekly number of new infections on three consecutive days exceeds 100 per 100,000 inhabitants. .
Merkel made it clear that she would not accept it.
“Unfortunately, we will have to use this emergency brake,” she said.
The weekly infection rate per 100,000 people rose to 107 nationwide on Monday, compared to the mid-60s three weeks ago.
Officials have agreed to largely halt public life from April 1 to 3 by adding a public holiday and closing most stores for the period. Public gatherings will be banned from April 1-5 to encourage people to stay home.
Amid concerns over the increase in Germans traveling abroad on holiday, authorities have also agreed on a full requirement that air travelers must test COVID-19 before boarding a flight to Germany.
Drawing up legally watertight rules has sometimes proved a headache. A court in Germany’s most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia, said on Monday it had rejected rules requiring people to make appointments to visit shops. It said they were violating the requirement that businesses should receive equal treatment.
The state government immediately reintroduced the rules and tightened them up for some businesses – such as bookstores and garden centers – that had been previously released.
Under Tuesday’s agreement, the authorities will strive to offer free tests to all students and teachers in German schools, many of which have only reopened after months of distance learning.
Merkel said Germany, which had relatively low deaths during the first phase of the pandemic last spring, had ‘successes but also a setback’, insisting that the situation would improve as more people were vaccinated.
Germany’s vaccination campaign has so far fallen short of expectations, with only about 9% of the population getting at least a first chance and 4% receiving both doses by Sunday.
“It’s harder than we thought,” Merkel said. “But there is definitely light visible at the end of the tunnel.”
Asked about the EU’s plans to restrict the export of vaccines and components, Merkel said she supported the bloc’s executive commission’s efforts to ensure compliance with contracts, citing supply problems facing the EU. had the AstraZeneca shot.
Britain, which left the EU last year, protested strongly against the plans, fearing it could be cut off from deliveries.
Merkel said she and French President Emmanuel Macron had been talking to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson about the issue in recent days and that EU leaders would aim to reach a “responsible” decision. Thursday.
———
AP journalist Geir Moulson contributed to this report.
———
Follow AP’s pandemic coverage at:
https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemie
https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus- vaccination
https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak