The federal and state governments have stipulated that in counties with a seven-day incidence of over 200 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants, “further local measures in accordance with the Infection Protection Act” should be implemented. In these districts, people’s radius of movement should be restricted to 15 kilometers around their place of residence, unless there is a valid reason. Day trips should be prevented.
There is still no information on the practical implementation, the responsibility lies with the federal states. Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) only pointed out at the press conference that in a big city like Berlin, the place of residence did not mean the exact address. You don’t start to measure the way from Mitte to Spandau or Marzahn, this is not practical, said the Chancellor.
In these locations, the 15 km radius of movement would currently apply
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Source: Robert Koch Institute (RKI)
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Merkel’s statement already indicates a problem with the new Corona rule: For people who live in a large city or a densely populated area, the restriction will rarely lead to massive restrictions in everyday life. Citizens who live in rural regions could be cut off from many activities by the 15-kilometer radius. While hotspot residents in Leipzig or Halle have a relatively large number of shopping options and leisure opportunities, the restriction of movement in districts such as Oberspreewald-Lausitz in Brandenburg is more significant.
The idea of a range of motion is not new. In Saxony, the regulation has been in place since mid-December. Local residents are not allowed to go further than 15 kilometers from their place of residence for shopping or outdoor sports. However, measurements are taken here from the respective residential property as the crow flies. Places that are further away by car may therefore still fall within the permitted range of motion. It is still unclear what the expected regulation means for people with a second residence – and whether it should not only prevent trips from places of origin with a high incidence, but also apply to destinations.
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