Friday 19th November 2021
“Another instrument box”
Saxony goes into partial lockdown
After Bavaria, Saxony is also pulling the rip cord and tightening the corona measures. Cultural and leisure facilities will be closed. Unvaccinated people in hotspots are even given a night curfew.
In view of the rapidly increasing corona numbers, Saxony wants to restrict large parts of public life from next Monday. The government announced this before a final cabinet meeting. All cultural and leisure facilities, libraries, bars, clubs and discos must close. The same goes for Christmas markets. The accommodation of tourists is prohibited. The gastronomy should be allowed to open until 8 p.m. with the 2G rule (vaccinated / recovered). The restrictions apply until December 12th.
Large events, festivals and trade fairs are also prohibited, as are tourist train and bus journeys. Dance, music and art schools, like adult education centers, are not allowed to teach. Offers for children and young people up to the age of 16 are an exception. The 3G rule applies to access to the workplace. For hotspot regions with an incidence above 1000, there is a curfew for unvaccinated people from 10 p.m. In addition, a ban on alcohol in public spaces is to be enacted.
“We need a different set of instruments”, Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer opened the press conference. Pure 2G or 2G plus rules are no longer sufficient, a “breakwater” is necessary, said Kretschmer. “Freedom without responsibility is called egoism – we need more ‘we’ and less ‘I’ – this is about solidarity,” said Kretschmer. The low vaccination rate is the real reason for this situation. The measures are absolutely necessary. With this dynamic, no region in Germany will experience Christmas without restrictions.
Saxony registered 7791 new infections within 24 hours on Friday. Schools and day-care centers remain open. Daycare centers as well as elementary and special needs schools, however, have to go into restricted regular operation up to and including the Christmas holidays. This means the strict separation of groups and fixed reference persons in order to keep possible chains of infection short and comprehensible. In addition, school attendance will be suspended until Christmas.
In retail there are no restrictions for basic supply shops, i.e. for supermarkets, drugstores or pharmacies. The 2G rule applies to all others. Only those who have been vaccinated and who have been tested have access. This also applies to visiting the hairdresser. All other shops with services close to the body will remain closed. Professional sport is possible without a spectator, so there will be ghost games again in football. Gyms stay closed. Churches and religious communities can come together under the terms of 3G. This also applies to meetings, but they can only have up to 10 participants and must take place at fixed locations.