Closing as of Wednesday: These crown rules have been decided by the federal and state governments

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WDue to the increasing number of corona infections, people in Germany will have to prepare for a hard lockdown next week. Prime ministers decided on Sunday morning with Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) in a video conference to significantly tighten the applicable rules.

the retail trade It will be closed for the most part from December 16 to January 10. Exceptions are food retailers, weekly markets and direct grocery marketers, pickup and delivery services, beverage stores, health food stores, pharmacies, medical supply stores, drugstores, opticians, hearing aid acousticians, gas stations, car and bicycle workshops, banks and savings banks, post offices, dry cleaners, laundries, newsstands, animal and feed markets, Christmas tree stands and wholesalers.

Against should Hair Salons, Cosmetic Studios, Massage Internships, Tattoo Studios and similar establishments are closed.

Closing: schools and kindergartens will be closed from Wednesday

Also to Schools and kindergartens contacts must be “significantly restricted”. Schools are generally closed from Wednesday, emergency care and distance education would be offered. Separate regulations may apply to graduating classes. How this is actually implemented depends on the regulations of the states and federal municipalities. Additionally, “additional opportunities” will be created for parents to take paid vacations.

Consume of alcoholic drinks in public space is prohibited during the same period, infractions will be fined. The sale of food and beverages outside the home is allowed, but consumption on the premises is prohibited to avoid the gathering of people in front of the facilities as in recent days (“hot wine jump”).

The “general” sale of pyrotechnics before New Years Eve. It is not recommended to light fireworks, but it is only prohibited in “public places” that must be determined by the municipalities. At New Years Eve and New Years In addition, a national ban on meeting people is being implemented. Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) spoke of a “de facto ban on firecrackers”.

Crown rules for private meetings

Private meetings they remain limited to two households and a maximum of five people, children up to 14 years old are excluded. This limit will be increased from December 24 to 26. Then he is allowed to meet four other people beyond his own close relative home, ie “straight ahead” and life partner.

Religious services in churches, synagogues, mosques and meetings of other religious communities they are still possible “under strict conditions”. The minimum distance of 1.5 meters must be respected and a mask is required. You must register in advance for meetings where the highest number of visitors is expected. In Nursing Homes and Retirement Homes Mandatory tests are introduced. The tests should be carried out “several times a week,” said Chancellor Merkel (CDU). Homes for the elderly and for the elderly require special attention.

New high-level infections

The background to the stricter measures is the soaring number of infections: the Robert Koch Institute reported 20,200 new infections on Sunday. That’s 2,433 more than a week ago. Another 321 people died from or with the virus. According to the RKI, the seven-day incidence increased further to 169.1 and is therefore increasingly far from the target value of 50 that the federal and state governments are striving for. The value indicates how many people per 100,000 inhabitants in Germany are infected for the first time in seven days.

The Federal Chancellor and state leaders plan to discuss again on January 5, 2021 and then decide on the measures starting on January 11.