In a general lockdown for the areas most affected by the coronavirus, “de facto lockdown for the unvaccinated” and extensive restrictions across the state, Bavaria proceeds from the middle of next week for three weeks, canceling all open-air Christmas, among other things. shopping and closing bars and clubs. “We are blocking, we are slowing down, we are strengthening,” is the slogan of the day, said Bavarian Prime Minister Marcus Zender recently, justifying the government’s decisions, referring to the dramatic situation in the region’s hospitals and the extremely low vaccination rate.
Especially for the areas of Bavaria that are considered outbreaks of coronavirus, Mr. Zender announced a “hard emergency brake”. Only kindergartens and schools, retail (at the condition of one customer per 20 sq.m.), nursing homes and rehabilitation centers will continue their operation with diagnostic tests. In these areas, restaurants, sports and cultural facilities will be closed, and meetings of up to five people from up to two households will be allowed, excluding children under 12 years old. “These measures affect the whole Alpine region,” he explained.
As for the rest of the state, from now on sporting and cultural events will only be allowed on a much smaller scale, with only 25% of the maximum capacity and the 2G + Rule (access only to vaccinated and recovering people, who will have additionally undergone a diagnostic test). The curfew returns from 22:00 and all clubs and bars, except for the Christmas markets, close immediately.
The fourth wave of the pandemic hitting the country is worse and more semicircular. As a result, its impact is very serious and the beds in the Intensive Care Units are occupied one after the other. “One thing is clear: the risk and challenge for Bavaria comes from the vaccination gap,” Zender said, adding that 90% of ICU patients are unvaccinated.
The Bavarian prime minister has made it clear that his government intends to use all legal means and to impose as many restrictions as possible, noting that a general lockdown – and for those vaccinated – is in his view legally difficult and possibly unconstitutional. On this occasion, Mr. Zender once again criticized the parties of the possible new coalition (SPD, Greens, FDP) for the decision not to renew the status of “epidemiological situation of national scope”, which allows more immediate and stricter measures. and expires on November 25.
In Bavaria, the rate of new cases per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days reached 625.3 today, the highest in the whole country, while the rate of hospital admissions exceeded the limit of 9 and is at 9.15.
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