Germans, just like Britons, will have to cope with restrictions during this year’s Christmas holidays. Yesterday, Angela Merkel and the heads of Germany’s federal states agreed on an updated catalogue of regulations that will allow ten adults to meet for a Christmas party. After three weeks of what is widely called a ‘lockdown light’, the infection rates in German cities and regions continue to remain above the threshold that has been set by medical experts. The vast majority of Landkreise (regional districts) have recorded an incidence proportion of higher than 50 cases per 1,000 inhabitants within the last week.
Chancellor Merkel said yesterday that the ‘lockdown light’ has prevented the health care system from collapsing, as one-fifth of intensive care beds remain available across the country. But in the same breath, she pleaded with her people, saying: ‘We need another strong effort’. Government officials in Berlin and the regions fear that the Christmas holidays could lead to a rise in infections that would then also affect the schools once kids return in early January.
One criticism of Germany’s approach is that citizens have been buried under a pile of rules and recommendations
That said, officials are keen to avoid too much discontent, which is why they have made only minor adjustments.
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