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Germany, Bavaria sets new COVID-19 restrictions for schools and retail stores

New rules and restrictions will apply in Bavaria from Monday the 12th that will tighten regulations in a bid to control the spread of COVID-19. There will also have changes to shopping and mandatory testing in schools.

Berlin has already set the regulation that required mandatory testing for schools, we wrote about it here.

Many shops in Bavaria that were previously allowed to stay open despite a high number of COVID-19 infection will have to close to reduce the number of infections.

Pupils in the state will also need a negative coronavirus test results to be in the classroom.

Retail Stores

DIY stores, garden centres, flower shops and bookshops no longer count as essential shops in Bavaria.

The rules that applied to other retail stores will aplly to these as they are no longer referred to as ‘daily needs’. Essential shops include:

  • Supermarkets
  • Grocery stores
  • Bakeries
  • Pharmacies
  • Petrol stations

According to the new rules, if the number of infections per 100,000 residents in seven days (7-day incidence) is below 50 in a district or city, all shops (including non-essential retailers) can open with restrictions including an FFP2 mask requirement.

One can secure a shopping appointment if there’s an incidence rate between 100 and 200 in a region and they show a PCR test no older than 48 hours or a rapid test no older than 24 hours.

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Schools

From Monday, mandatory testing for pupils will apply in Bavaria. Pupils now have to do a PCR, rapid or self-test at school twice a week.

Pupils can attend in-classroom teaching with the negative result.

Students who refuse to do the test or have to go into quarantine due to a positive test or because they are a contact of someone with the virus will receive distance learning.

If a district or city has below 50 Covid infections per 100,000 residents, there is face-to-face teaching at primary schools and alternate teaching (both online and in-person) for older pupils.

If the incidence rate is between 50 and 100, all pupils must take part in both alternating classes.

In regions that see the incidence rise above 100, schools must switch to online teaching. However, in this case final-year pupils grades four at primary schools, grades 11 at grammar schools, as well as higher secondary vocational schools are exempt from distance learning.

Source: The local.de