Germany extends its current national blockade until mid-February and introduces new tougher measures as the country’s death toll continues to rise.
Chancellor Angela Merkel and her 16 state prime ministers agreed on Tuesday night to extend the blockade, which began in December, following an eight-hour marathon discussion. Stricter mask requirements – including the use of FFP2 / N95 masks in public transport and shops – have been mandatory across the country. The improved measures came after the German government was warned about the danger of new variants of the virus.
A critical point in the discussions was on schools. Eventually, officials decided to remain closed, but ultimately it was up to the federal states to mandate them.
The CN-n-tv affiliate spoke with members of the German public about the changes in the Covid-19 restrictions, a woman told the local television channel that she hoped that the current impact of the blockade would be obvious by now.
“The blockade should have already had some effects, but we don’t see that,” she said.
Another man supported the government’s movements, saying: “They are elected and they will know what is best for the population.”
The changes come as the latest coronavirus figures were released Wednesday morning by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the German national agency for disease control and prevention.
Another 1,148 deaths were recorded, bringing the total number of those who died of the disease to 48,770 – the second largest daily jump since January 14, when the death toll was 1,244.
A further 15,974 new Covid-19 cases were registered, bringing the total number in the country to 2,068,002, according to RKI.
When it comes to vaccinations, RKI said that so far 1,195,543 people have been inoculated, with 1,195,543 people receiving the first dose and 24,741 people receiving the second.