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Status: December 15, 2020 7:03 am
The imminent closure brought many people to the city centers on Monday. Even today it threatens to fill up.
A lot of people were in Hannover on Monday, people had to wait in front of some shops to get in. Around 7,000 people an hour were there on the main shopping street, says Martin Prenzler, community director for the city of Hannover, opposite NDR 1, Lower Saxony. Monday, two days before the close through Jan.10, unfolded as a busy Saturday, Prenzler said in the afternoon.
Hannover: the police searched the city
The police crossed the pedestrian zone in several emergency vehicles and verified, among other things, compliance with the mask requirement. “We talk to citizens and point them out,” said a police spokesman. “We are constantly evaluating the situation.” The police have long been a greater presence in the city center of Hannover to ensure compliance with crown rules.
VIDEO: Before the confinement: what is the mood in the city (1 min)
Reinforcement through more staff
According to Prenzler, retailers want to organize additional staff for the remaining time, whenever possible. Owner-operated stores would likely remain open beyond normal business hours. Stores in downtown Hannover were already noticeably more crowded on Saturday than in previous weeks, despite dramatically high Corona numbers.
Discounts, discounts
Long lines had already formed in front of shops in other Lower Saxony cities on Monday morning, prompted by discount campaigns, for example. A fashion chain advertised on a full page of a local newspaper in Hann. Münden (Göttingen district) to get a great discount on their entire range.
“Very determined and energetic on the road”
There were also a lot of people on the streets of Göttingen. “It’s full, but it’s not like the city is bursting,” said a passerby. “The people are very determined and energetic,” said “Pro City” Göttingen CEO Elisabeth von Alvensleben. “There are many. There are queues in front of some stores.”
Some stores stay open longer
It was similar in Oldenburg. In front of some shops, people were queuing, as Friederike Töbelmann from Oldenburg Tourismus und Marketing GmbH said. Then there was no crowd. “Many distributors have announced that they will extend their opening hours,” said Töbelmann.
In Emden, Leer, Aurich and Norden, stores must stay open until 9 p.m. the days before closing. The mayor of Uelzen, Jürgen Markwardt (non-partisan) and the mayor of the entire municipality, called on distributors to keep their stores open longer. However, the Harz-Heide trade association does not assume that longer opening times can match the flow of visitors.
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Hurry to pharmacies – completely full hair salons
Hurry to the pharmacies in Osnabrück: many customers seem unsure which stores will have to close on Wednesday and which ones will not.
But it’s not just Christmas shoppers who keep stores packed. Apparently some customers are also unsure where they can buy from Wednesday and where they can’t. In Emden, for example, the parking lots of many supermarkets were crowded on Monday morning, in Osnabrück there was a rush for pharmacies, in Ammerland for Christmas trees. Apparently, word hadn’t yet gotten around that supermarkets, drugstores, pharmacies, opticians and hearing aids can still open after Tuesday night.
Hairdresser in Lüneburg: “Until the last customer leaves”
Even Christmas trees don’t have to be pinned in apartments, because they can still be sold. However, hair salons must close as of Tuesday night. Many were unable to give free appointments on Monday morning. A hairdresser in the city center of Lüneburg told NDR 1 Lower Saxony: “Today we are open until the last customer leaves.”
Hardware stores are also closed
Hardware stores in Lower Saxony are also affected by impending store closures. However, according to information from the German Press Agency, it should be possible to collect products ordered online from retailers. The new Corona regulation, which is expected to be presented on Tuesday, should regulate the details.
Some countries need time to implement
The head of the chancellery, Helge Braun (CDU), explained that after his crisis conference on Sunday, the federal and state governments did not decide on Monday’s closure, and said that some federal states still need the time. The background is that state parliaments are still involved in deciding on Corona’s new rules. In the ARD Extra, he warned Sunday night that city centers shouldn’t be too crowded. Corona infection numbers are so high that contacts must be cut now, Braun said.
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Crown in Lower Saxony – current reports
