German Chancellor Angela Merkel, on Tuesday along with the leaders of the country's 16 states agreed that the national lockdown should be kept in place. The leaders agreed to prolong the lockdown until February 14. The lockdown was previously set to end at the end of January.
Previously, regulations stipulated that all non-essential shops and services remain closed, daycare centres should be closed, employers were to encourage employees to work from home and grant paid leave to look after their children; schools remained shut to a large extent and classes were conducted online among several other measures.
Under the new restrictions, most shops, schools and non-essential business, such as gyms and sports centres, will remain closed. People in shops and on public transport will be required to wear filter masks such as FFP2 respirators, which also protect the wearer, Deutsche Welle reported.
Though there have been reports of infections decreasing in recent days, medical experts are worried that the new strains like the ones identified in the UK and South Africa could spread in Germany. Admittances to intensive care units have increased, putting pressure on hospitals. Chancellor Merkel, in the meanwhile, urged that EU nations work together to stem the spread of the new mutations of the coronavirus. She added that, if not, border checks might need to be installed.
Denmark PM Mette Frederiksen said that the nation might need to extend its lockdown despite a drop in infections due to the new variant from the UK. France’s health minister Olivier Veran said that the nation’s 6 pm curfew was sufficient for now, though the virus is circulating at a worrying rate.
The Dutch government announced that it plans to announce a curfew and localised restrictions.