Corona current
Lockdown extended – these measures apply now
Angela Merkel is now leaving the federal states to decide how to deal with the lockdown on many points
How can the corona crisis in Germany be defeated? Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Prime Ministers discussed this again. The lockdown will be extended – an overview of the measures.
On Wednesday the federal and state governments again debated the further measures in the corona pandemic. Chancellor Angela Merkel appeared before the press just in time for the news. The main decision of the meeting: The lockdown will be extended until March 7th. But other measures were changed, partly relaxed, partly adjusted. We give an overview.
Until when will the corona lockdown last?
The lockdown in Germany has now officially been extended until March 7th. The current measures therefore continue to apply in principle with regard to avoiding contacts, the medical mask requirement, the closure of restaurants and shops and also the home office regulation. There are some adjustments, however.
What are the contact restrictions now?
As before, all contacts that are not absolutely necessary should be avoided. Meetings between a household and another person not living in the household are permitted.
What can open again?
There is a special solution for hairdressers. These should be allowed to open from March 1st – but only under strict hygiene requirements. Customers have to reserve an appointment and a mask is mandatory.
When are schools and daycare centers allowed to reopen?
The opening of schools and daycare centers is said to have been a point of contention in the debate. There is therefore no uniform regulation for all of Germany. Rather, the federal states should now decide for themselves when and how to reopen schools and daycare centers. Some federal states, such as Berlin, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia, are already holding out the prospect of gradual opening from February 22nd, while schools in Hamburg are to remain closed. What is new in this case is that more rapid tests should also be used in schools – and that it should be checked whether teachers are vaccinated earlier.
When do the shops open again?
It is not yet clear when retail stores will be allowed to reopen – because it depends on the incidence values of the respective location. The next opening step should only happen when there is a stable corona situation of 35 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants. Then, according to the "Tagesschau", not only the retail trade with space restrictions, but also body-friendly service companies, museums and galleries should be able to reopen.
What's next in March?
All other facilities, such as sports facilities, hotels but above all restaurants, should only be discussed at the next federal-state meeting. This will take place on March 3rd, shortly before the end of the lockdown extension. Until then: be patient and persevere. At the press conference, Chancellor Angela Merkel once again emphasized the importance of the measures – the main thing now is to avoid the coronavirus mutation triggering a third wave.