
It’s official. Angela Merkel has officially confirmed that Germany will enter a ‘lockdown light’ on Monday, the toughest restrictions since lockdown ended. The restrictions will remain in place for a month, at least.
Merkel was reportedly resolute heading into the meeting with the heads of Germany’s 16 states, bolstered by a record jump in case numbers.
In response, owners of restaurants and bars planned to stage a protest demanding more government support if their establishments are forced to close down again.
Officials say Germany is beginning to lose control of the situation with local health authorities unable to trace contacts of those infected. Its health minister, Jens Spahn, has told SWR Public Radio that the country must move to flatten the curve again as soon as possible because “once the intensive care wards are full it’s too late,” Spahn said.
Germany’s Bild newspaper just confirmed that after speaking with local leaders from around the country, Merkel has decided to move ahead with a temporary national lockdown (or at least something pretty close to it) although schools will continue to hold classes.
According to BILD information, the corona lockdown planned by the federal government is to begin on Monday (November 2nd).
Following the discussions with the Prime Ministers of the federal states about further restrictions, Chancellor Angela Merkel will inform the parliamentary group leaders in the German Bundestag about the resolutions.
This was announced by the deputy government spokeswoman Martina Fietz in Berlin. On Thursday morning, Merkel will make a government statement about the corona crisis in the Bundestag.
Here are the details (courtesy of Reuters) of the “lockdown-lite” proposed by Merkel, which will focus on closing bars, restaurants and public events to slow the second wave of the virus:
Shops will stay open with restricted hours, while schools will only close in parts of the country where numbers are particularly high.
To be sure, Germany’s situation is perhaps the most mild out of the major European economies. But Merkel is hoping to stave off the return of a more stringent lockdown.
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The drumbeat of European economies moving back toward lockdown intensified Wednesday morning after German Chancellor Angela Merkel pushed for stronger curbs on movement and contact, including closing bars, restaurants, gyms and other nonessential businesses through the end of November.
It comes as Italy and Spain impose their toughest nationwide restrictions since the end of lockdown, while France, which has relied heavily on localized restrictions targeting the worst-hit metro areas, weighs a potential return to lockdown, with President Emmanuel Macron reportedly favoring a one-month return to nonessential business closures.
Reuters is reporting that French President Emmanuel Macron is preparing a stay-at-home order this week to try and contain the virus as France cements is space as the worst hit of Europe’s biggest economies.
The new order will require people to stay in their homes except for “essential” trips to work or to buy food or see the doctor.
Macron is expected to make a televised address at 2000 local time on Wednesday.
Insiders added that they expect the lockdown to be similar to the measures employed back in the spring, though they wouldn’t be quite as intense. One main difference: The government intends to keep schools open.
It’s not clear yet how long the government is thinking of maintaining the measures.
Germany’s Bild newspaper just confirmed that after speaking with local leaders from around the country, Merkel has decided to move ahead with a temporary national lockdown (or at least something pretty close to it) although schools will continue to hold classes.
According to BILD information, the corona lockdown planned by the federal government is to begin on Monday (November 2nd).
Following the discussions with the Prime Ministers of the federal states about further restrictions, Chancellor Angela Merkel will inform the parliamentary group leaders in the German Bundestag about the resolutions.
This was announced by the deputy government spokeswoman Martina Fietz in Berlin. On Thursday morning, Merkel will make a government statement about the corona crisis in the Bundestag.
Here are the details (courtesy of Reuters) of the “lockdown-lite” proposed by Merkel, which will focus on closing bars, restaurants and public events to slow the second wave of the virus. Shops will stay open with restricted hours, while schools will only close in parts of the country where numbers are particularly high.
To be sure, Germany’s situation is perhaps the most mild out of the major European economies. But Merkel is hoping to stave off the return of a more stringent lockdown.
We expect to hear more today from EU leaders, who are holding a virtual bloc-wide meeting with leaders to discuss potential EU-wide measures to combat the virus.
Merkel has pledged to do all she can to avoid imposing another lockdown as strict as the one that hammered Europe’s biggest economy in the second quarter. The latest measures — which would take effect Nov. 2 — are designed to stem the spread of the disease while broadly allowing activity to continue, though they’re likely to provoke protests from industry groups and from citizens already weary of what they see as government intrusion into their private lives. She’s expected to join talks with local leaders of Germany’s 16 states on Wednesday to discuss proposed new curbs. According to a draft seen by Reuters, Merkel wants to keep schools and nurseries open, while much else would shut.
Already, though, Germany’s latest restrictions are provoking a backlash with the vice president of Germany’s lower house of parliament to declare on national radio that he won’t follow the new rules.
The country saw new “cases” rise Wednesday by a record 14,964 to a total of 464,239.
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Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to release a set of proposals later on Wednesday ahead of a Thursday conference call with EU leaders. Charles Michel, her counterpart at the European Council of EU leaders, called for enhanced bloc-wide measures, including to boost testing capabilities and the deployment of vaccines once they are ready.
Too bad they didn’t follow the Biden plan and impose lockdowns back in the spring…oh wait.
Source: AGENCIES