"Stop the Spread of COVID-19 Variants"... Germany Plans to Extend Full Lockdown Until April 15

Review of Federal Government's Work-from-Home Order
Travel Restrictions in Areas with Rapid COVID-19 Spread

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki Ha-young] Germany will extend its full lockdown until the 15th of next month to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) variant.

According to German broadcaster ntv and others, Chancellor Angela Merkel is scheduled to finalize plans to extend and strengthen COVID-19 lockdown measures at a meeting with the federal government and the 16 state governors on the 19th (local time).

Reviewing the agenda, stores except for schools, childcare facilities, and essential goods retailers will suspend operations until the 15th of next month. This means the full lockdown, originally set to last until the end of this month, will be extended by an additional 15 days.

Private gatherings will be limited to one person outside the household, and wearing medical masks will be mandatory on public transportation and indoors. The federal government plans to issue orders to expand work-from-home arrangements as much as possible within feasible limits.

Due to the rapid spread of COVID-19, in regions where the number of new cases per 100,000 people over a week cannot be reduced below the government’s target of 50 by the 15th of next month, restrictions such as limiting movement within 15 km or curfews will also be recommended.

At a COVID-19 situation analysis meeting chaired by Chancellor Merkel the previous day, experts repeatedly warned about the dangers of the COVID-19 variant, according to German daily S?ddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) and others. Experts pointed out that since the variant is spreading rapidly within Germany, stronger measures are needed to reduce the number of new cases.

According to data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany’s equivalent of the disease control agency, 11,369 new COVID-19 cases were recorded the previous day. The daily COVID-19 death toll was 989. Over the past week, the number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people was 131.5. The German government aims to reduce this figure to 50.