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The German capital decreed, from this Saturday (10), the bars and restaurants are closed between 11 pm and 6 am, in addition to stores or other commercial establishments, to control the increase in the number of cases. Other cities, such as Cologne and Frankfurt, have already taken similar measures.
Berlin’s curfew will run until October 31. Only pharmacies and gas stations will be able to open the doors.
“This is not the time to celebrate,” said the mayor of the German capital, Michael Müller, justifying the measure.
October 9: German Chancellor Angela Merkel gives a statement to the press after a video conference with mayors of German cities about the spread of Covid-19. – Photo: Axel Schmidt / Reuters
“We can and want to avoid further confinement, which is even more restrictive,” he said, citing particularly the “bad behavior” of Germans in the 20-40 age group.
“After three glasses of wine, social distancing measures tend to be less respected,” added the city’s Attorney General, Dirk Behrendt.
The “Berlin Lawyers” collective called the adoption of the new measures “a disaster” and says it can go to court. According to the Statista Institute, Berlin had, in 2018, 9,800 restaurants and more than 1,700 bars. The decision of the city authorities directly affects the German capital, which has already been seriously affected by the closure of the nightclubs several months ago, which in 2018 meant profits of more than 1,500 million for the local public coffers.
The measure, however, was defended by Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday (9), during a meeting with mayors of 11 German cities.
I am aware that the restrictions affect the sector in a complex way ”, he explained. In Frankfurt, the curfew came into effect on Friday (9), also prohibiting the sale of alcohol from 10pm. Cologne also adopted a decision similar to Berlin, which came into effect on Saturday (10).
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The Berlin City Council has also decided to restrict social contacts as much as possible. Between 11 pm and 6 am, outdoor gatherings will be limited to five people and 50 during the day.
In closed places, where the risk of transmission of the coronavirus is greater, the established limit will be 10 participants.
The measures are primarily aimed at house parties and illegal celebrations, which city officials consider to be the focus of the spread of the coronavirus.
As in all of Europe, the epidemic situation in the capital is worrying, with an incidence rate of more than 50 cases per 100,000 inhabitants for several days, the limit established by epidemiologists for a situation to be considered controlled.
The city registers more than 400 daily cases and Berlin is considered a risk zone.
In June, the police disrupted a party with boats, boats and buoys on the Landwehr canal in Berlin. – Photo: David Gannon / AFP
