Germany’s growing Covid revolt

Germany is edging towards revolt. Twelve of the country’s 16 federal states have brought in ‘accommodation bans’, forbidding travellers in high-risk areas from visiting other regions without proof of a recent negative test. 

These risk areas include four out of five of Germany’s largest cities as well as any Landkreis (or administrative districts) that have recorded more than 50 new cases per 100,000 residents within the last seven days. According to this metric, both Berlin and Frankfurt are now high risk areas. Berlin has recorded 61.3 infections per 100,000 residents over the past week, leading the city government to introduce its first ban on all-night drinking since 1949.

Other local politicians who have become increasingly concerned about a potential second wave have also made their first legislative steps, including tightly regulating the opening hours of restaurants and increasing fines for breaches of existing rules. The general concern is that dense urban centres are turning into hubs for so-called ‘super spreaders’ because people do not and often cannot obey physical distancing rules in everyday life.