Germany’s November lockdown that was set to contain the coronavirus spread should be extended into December, two senior politicians suggested. News house DW quoted that regional state premiers will debate further steps with Angela Merkel on Wednesday to know whether to extend coronavirus lockdown in Germany.
Germany’s November lockdown, “lockdown light” ( we wrote abut it here>>) as schools, stores and many businesses remain open, could need to be extended into December, even toward Christmas, to hold the spread of the coronavirus in check, Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Bavaria’s state premier, Markus Söder, told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper.
The duo who are key voices in Merkel’s coalition government, made their hints ahead of further pandemic crisis talks next Wednesday involving premiers of Germany’s 16 states, which in the country’s federal system are tasked with implementing measures.
Scholz, a member of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) and also Germany’s finance minister, said, “Everything suggests that the current restrictions [on interpersonal contacts] must be extended for a while beyond November 30.”
Corona in Germany: Merkel declares ‘Lockdown light’ to start from November 2nd
“In any case for two or three weeks,” said Söder, who serves as chair of the Christian Social Union (CSU), the sister party of Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU).
Why extend coronavirus lockdown in Germany?
The public “must look the truth in the eye. It is simply not enough yet,” Söder told BamS, saying intensive care wards were again stretched while Germany exceeded its benchmark of 50 people newly infected per 100,000 population within seven days.
Currently, the level nationwide lies around 140, although localities have varied markedly.
“In order to spend a pleasant Christmas, we have to extend the lockdown and certainly deepen it,” said Söder while urging citizens to avoid festive season trips and alpine apes-ski gatherings.
A third coalition government appeal in BamS came from Rhineland Palatinate’s state premier, Malu Dreyer, like Scholz an SPD veteran, who said she hoped gains from staying isolated during the current lockdown would enable people to meet their “loved ones” at Christmas and New Year’s.