Germany closes for the holidays | Confinement…

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has admitted that restrictions on public life and economic activity over the past month and a half “were not enough” to contain the pandemic in his country. In an appeal to the nation, Steinmeier urged society to act “accordingly” to contain the spread of the coronavirus. This Sunday, the central government and the 16 federated states agreed on “forced confinement” from Wednesday.

“Our efforts so far have not been sufficient. We must act accordingly. This is true for the political class at all administrative levels, but also at the personal level. Everyone should ask themselves what else I can do to protect myself and others. , especially the most vulnerable, ”he said.

The German president has an eminently formal position but with a high moral profile, and his call is a way of coordinating actions in a country known for difficulty in bringing member states together. Steinmeier assured that the situation was “of bitter gravity” and that neither Christmas nor the New Year could be celebrated “as we thought” due to restrictions unprecedented in the history of the country.

“It is up to us and we know what to do,” said the president, who called the individual “responsibility” to reduce the number of infections and keep it at levels the health system can sustain. . “We will only achieve this if we drastically limit (interpersonal) contact. We have to do it quickly and comprehensively. It is impossible for our health system to collapse,” said the German president.

“The pandemic will not steal our future. We will defeat the pandemic,” he concluded.

SCHOOLS AND SHOPS CLOSED

The “forced confinement” agreed this Sunday forces the closure of non-essential shops and schools, which are in addition to leisure, culture and gastronomy, from Wednesday to January 10, which ceased their activity in November.

Reunions will continue to be limited to five people from two households (not counting those under 14), although conditions will be relaxed slightly between December 24 and December 26 to allow for family reunions. This will not be the case on New Years Eve, New Years Eve and Kings, when a “national ban on assembling” in public spaces will be enacted and the sale and use of pyrotechnics will be banned, which is traditional on these dates.