[ad_1]
This article is continually updated.
Don’t miss a thing – subscribe to us for the latest developments and the most important background information. Coronavirus Newsletter.
A third of Germans are worried about Christmas due to Corona restrictions
8.30 am: In view of the corona pandemic, about a third of people in Germany believe that Christmas will not take place as usual. A total of 34.1 percent of those surveyed are “definitely” or “somewhat” concerned that a family reunion at Christmas may be in jeopardy, according to online opinion research institute Civey in a survey of 5,052 people on behalf from the Funke media group. Especially among the 18 to 29 age group, concern about the festival is higher at 41.5 percent.
On the other hand, more than half of all respondents believe that Christmas can take place in the usual setting. Women (31 percent) consider a typical Christmas with the family to be less realistic overall than men (37). Whether or not children live at home makes little difference: According to the study, adults with children are only slightly more concerned before Christmas in a small group than households without children.
4721 new Crown-Reported infections
7.36 am: According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), German health authorities reported 4,721 new corona infections on Saturday morning in one day. From Thursday to Friday the plus was 4516.
According to the RKI, at least 319,381 people in Germany have been shown to have been infected with the Sars-CoV-2 virus since the beginning of the Corona crisis. Therefore, the number of deaths related to a corona infection was 9,604. That was 15 more than the day before. According to RKI estimates, around 273,500 people survived the infection.
According to RKI estimates in Germany, according to Friday’s management report, the number of views, or R-value for short, was 1.34 (previous day: 1.17). This means that one infected person infects more than one other person on average. The R value represents the infection rate approximately one and a half weeks earlier. Additionally, the RKI gives a seven-day R call in its current status report. The value refers to a longer period of time and is therefore less subject to daily fluctuations. According to RKI estimates, this value was 1.37 (previous day: 1.22). It shows the infection process from 8 to 16 days ago.
Cologne exceeds warning level
7.34 am: In the corona pandemic, the city of Cologne exceeded the important alert level of 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in seven days. The North Rhine-Westphalia health center gave the value of the metropolis on Saturday at 54.8. The Cologne city administration expected the threshold to be crossed and therefore has already ordered numerous restrictions on public life as of this Saturday.
You can no longer consume alcohol in the streets and squares at night after 10 pm There is a ban on selling alcohol in party places on weekends. Also, only up to five people from different households can meet in public; previously there were ten. People have to wear masks in pedestrian areas. A curfew as in Berlin will not be introduced initially, Mayor Henriette Reker (a non-partisan) stressed on Friday.
Furthermore, the number of people at the celebrations has been limited: in the future, a maximum of 25 people will be allowed for private celebrations in rented rooms. “We highly recommend not celebrating in your own apartment,” Reker said. No more than ten people should meet there.
Business associations criticize chaos of regulation
6.59 am: Business associations face the inconsistent approach of the federal states in the fight against the corona pandemic. The German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) and the Dehoga Hotel and Restaurant Association are particularly offended by some accommodation bans for guests from risk areas within Germany.
DIHK President Eric Schweitzer criticized “uncoordinated regulations” to ban accommodation. This is currently causing great uncertainty among companies, Schweitzer told the Funke media group newspapers. After all, companies in the tourism industry in particular have crafted safe hygiene concepts, developed digital solutions, and continued to engage in difficult conditions.
Dehoga CEO Ingrid Hartges described it as “completely unsatisfactory that we don’t have national regulations.” Both guests and hoteliers would have countless questions and would not know what would apply in detail. “That is why we urgently need more uniformity,” Hartges demanded at the “Passauer Neue Presse.” For example, in general it should be clear that business travelers are exempt from the accommodation ban.
Drosten: More crown rules will be needed again at the national level soon
5.00 am: Virologist Christian Drosten believes that more uniform national regulations will be needed in the coming months to combat the corona pandemic. “It’s good when there are clear rules. That’s very clear,” he told the Germany publishing network. In view of the regionally different frequency of the disease, it is understandable that it is still difficult to apply, the expert admitted. But he emphasized: “The virus will spread more and more uniformly. We will increasingly enter a situation in which it is better to regulate in all areas.”
