Germany will expand national restrictions on the unimmunized and introduce mandatory vaccination predictably from next February, outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced, following her meeting with her foreseeable successor, Olaf Scholz, and regional leaders.
The measures adopted include the closure of nightlife after certain levels of infection incidence, as well as restrictions on public events and contacts, especially among unvaccinated citizens, who will not be able to meet with people outside their family nucleus.
Less than 70% of the population is vaccinated
“We are seeing some relaxation, but at too high a level,” said Merkel in Berlin. “That is why today we need to agree on these measures.” They have also backed the plan to make covid vaccines mandatory, stating that the lower house of parliament will vote on it soon.
The mandatory vaccine will be a big game changer after Merkel and other officials insisted that vaccines would be a personal choice. The soft tone may have contributed to the relatively tepid acceptance from Germany, where less than 70% of the population is fully inoculated.
A Berlin Christmas market.
Social Democrat Scholz, the current vice chancellor, will be sworn in next Wednesday after more than two months of coalition negotiations, and the shift in power has slowed Germany’s response to the resurgence of the pandemic. Despite the growing urgency as hospitals fill up, authorities have wanted to avoid blanket restrictions and school closings.
The new measures include stricter contact restrictions for unvaccinated people, the closure of nightclubs in places with high infection rates and strict limits on the number of spectators at large public events.
The agreement makes the guidelines national. Some regions with high rates of infection, such as Bavaria and Saxony, had already tightened restrictions, and states still have the authority to take stricter measures at the local level.
Fourth wave
Medical authorities have warned that the situation remains serious
Although there has been some good news recently, as the infection rate in Germany has fallen for the third day in a row, medical authorities have warned that the situation remains dire.
The head of the intensive care lobby DIVI predicted on Wednesday that the number of covid patients in ICUs will reach 6,000 by Christmas, beating the previous record. The cumulative incidence level stands at 439 cases per 100,000 people in the last seven days, it is still more than double the maximum reached in spring.
To protect more people, authorities want to administer up to 30 million doses of vaccines by the end of the year, including booster shots. The authorities also want to significantly expand the pool of people who can administer vaccines, including the use of skilled workers in pharmacies and care centers.
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