Germany’s government has announced new restrictive measures to curb a new spike in Covid-19 cases ahead of the New Year’s Eve festivities.
One is to limit the number of people in private meetings to ten. “We cannot turn a blind eye to the next wave. Coronavirus is not taking Christmas off,” said Chancellor Olaf Scholz, adding that it is a matter of weeks before omicron becomes the dominant strain of coronavirus in the country.
He reached an agreement with the 16 heads of state government to close clubs and nightclubs and only allow large events, such as sports matches, without an audience. Scholz will meet again with regional officials on Jan. 7 to assess the situation.
There will also be a campaign to encourage vaccination. 70.4% of the population were immunized with two doses, a low rate among developed countries; 32.6% received a booster dose.
The country registered 23,428 new cases and 462 deaths on Tuesday (21), bringing the total number of victims to 108,814.
The Robert Koch Institute for Infectious Diseases had recommended tougher measures, including introducing maximum contact restrictions immediately and limiting travel to what was absolutely necessary.
Experts also warned that the omicron variant could cause disruptions to emergency services. Hospitals could face a double blow: on the one hand, a wave of critically ill patients, and on the other hand a shortage of staff due to sudden infections among doctors and nurses.
.
