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Coronavirus Germany: towns re-enforce lockdowns as infection rate rises

Two of Germany’s states will be bringing back coronavirus lockdown measures in some areas following an increase in infections after the government’s easing of restrictions that German Chancellor Angela Merkel declared early this month. Germany has 16 federal states, with the power to relax restrictions, who have all agreed to re-impose lockdown if new cases hit 50 per 100,000 people over seven days

A lot of governments are terrified that the easing could lead to a second wave of coronavirus infections in Germany, this is true as the local government in North Rhine-Westphalia has been forced to re-introduce lockdown measures after 150 of 1,200 employees at a slaughterhouse in Coesfeld tested positive for coronavirus. The infection rate at the slaughterhouse had meant the region was above the limit to stop the easing of the lockdown.

All of Germany’s state leaders have been given the power to re-introduce lockdown measures should there be a rise in the number of coronavirus cases in the state. The regional government in North Rhine-Westphalia has now delayed the reopening of restaurants, gyms, malls and bigger shops. Also in Greiz, in the state of Thuringia, there has been 80 infections per 100,000 people recorded. The local government have announced crisis talks next week and have suggested certain areas could be put back in quarantine. The wearing of masks is obligatory on public transport and in all shops in Germany.

Chancellor Merkel said she thinks she can safely state that the very first phase of the pandemic is behind us. But that Germany needs to understand the need to be very much aware they are still in the early phases and will be in it for the long haul. Angela Merkel has said the country had defeated the first phase of the pandemic because it had a slowing infection rate and a low mortality rate but with the relaxing of lockdown measures, more care might be needed to curb new infections.

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