Coronavirus: Germany imposes heavy restrictions …

From berlin

Not Christmas, not New Years and now there will be no Easter celebrations either. Something that was quite out of the calculations of all Europeans, and in particular Germans, for whom these holidays are the prelude to spring with a holiday on their own beaches and those of others as in their favorite destination, Palmas de Mallorca .

On the other hand, this Monday, gathered until the wee hours of the morning in a meeting which lasted 11 hours until Tuesday, the foreign minister shot Angela Merkel, with her ministers from the federated states, has decreed the toughest containment since the start of the pandemic a year ago.

From April 1 to 5 inclusive, that is to say from Maundy Thursday to Easter Monday, public, private and economic life will be reduced to the strict minimum. in an attempt to continue to slow down what they are already calling the third wave of the pandemic. So even meetings and barbecues With whom many have speculated (bet on the sun’s rays starting to come out thanks to the change of seasons, which is not very drastic either since the temperatures continue to be low and last week it even snowed heavily in Berlin) are totally prohibited. Even the meeting of members of different houses. Only supermarkets and pharmacies can open. No restaurants, no locals, no bars, no street stalls (something that had become fashionable). All restrictions that came into effect from the end of 2020 and will last until April 18 inclusive.

In addition, Germany will require all travelers to take a negative PCR test upon arrival in the country from anywhere in the world, even if it is not considered a risk area.

The decision to travel from abroad is linked to the controversy surrounding the Easter holidays in Mallorca, demand for which had exploded after German authorities removed the Balearic Islands from the list of risk areas, which removed the obligation to submit a PCR test and quarantine.

“We advise against all travel abroad, in general all travel which is not strictly necessary,” Merkel said after the meeting. at a press conference that began shortly before 3 a.m. yesterday. He also noted that they rule out additional openings if the number of infections increases exponentially, even below an incidence rate of 100.

What worried the German government a lot was the most contagious and probably also the most dangerous B.1.1.7 variant of the coronavirus, discovered in Great Britain, which is increasingly replacing other forms of viruses. According to a report by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the main source of consultation, it currently accounts for 72% of all cases. This means that it is now found in about three out of four samples. In contrast, the spread of variant B.1.351 (first detected in South Africa) is decreasing, while variant P.1 (first detected in Brazil) continues to be detected sporadically.

Vaccines and economic activity

Immediately after the effects of the lockdown, vaccine application and economic activity are obviously what worries the general population the most. Basically, because the state has prepared sophisticated and expensive vaccination centers which, for lack of a sufficient volume of vaccines, are practically empty. And because something that seemed unthinkable, which the German state can continue to support economically as it has done so far for the self-employed or gastronomic companies, can be sustainable over time as the shutdown continues .

The coronavirus crisis has severely hampered private consumption in Germany. As reported by the Federal Statistical Office on Monday, households spent 5.0% less than the previous year in real terms. This was the sharpest drop since 1970, with spending falling in almost all areas, especially in the first half of the year. In the first confinement fell, among other things, travel costs by train and plane, as well as visits to restaurants and obviously everything relating to the cultural activities that are the fortress of the German capital (concerts, exhibitions in museums , film festivals, music, theater, literature, art and sporting events). Como así también la enorme cantidad de estudiantes de todos los niveles que vienen a capacitarse en las prestigeiosas universidades que pasaron todas a formato on line con lo que dejaron de resultar tan atractivas, por no poder otorgar, la experiencia completa de vivir y estudiar en otro Country.

Giving positive news, a good one is that they have cleared the vaccine

Astrazeneca which had been banned for fear of side effects in people over 65. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) considers the benefits of the vaccine to be significantly greater than the risks. With what, the German Minister of Health Jens Spahn (CDU) who had provisionally suspended it last Monday, re-authorized it last Thursday.

While another good news is that a fourth vaccine is coming to the European Union market that requires only one dose and is from the US manufacturer Johnson & Johnson.

Coming back to Easter and to the uses and customs of the German people in general, or at least to that of the big cities, here the worship of the balcony, absolute luxury which can be said terrace, is something very appreciated, and only someone who has lived these last the harsh winters know what that means, with which with the schools, a few weeks ago, the opening of nurseries and florists had been decreed to create even if it was the case, to be able to create its own source at home. We’ll see if there are any flowers left after yesterday’s measurements, since even these businesses are expected to shut down again.