BERLIN – Germany’s capital Berlin will from Monday tighten the screws on unvaccinated people by denying them access to indoor dining, bars, gyms, and hairdressers in an effort to contain a coronavirus resurgence.
Under new rules in the city-state, only fully vaccinated people and those who can show proof of recovery from Covid-19 can enter leisure facilities and a list of other selected venues – a system known as “2G” in Germany.
The move comes in response to “the rising number of coronavirus cases and the increasing pressure on intensive care units”, the Berlin senate said in a press release yesterday evening.
Theatres, museums, and outdoor events with more than 2,000 visitors such as football games will all be off-limits to unvaccinated adults.
Minors and people who cannot get jabbed for health reasons will not be affected by the new restrictions, as for them a negative test will suffice.
Companies were also encouraged to ask employees to work from home more, and to limit office attendance to 50% of staff.
The measures agreed by the Berlin senate are among the toughest yet in Germany, which in recent days has repeatedly shattered its record for new daily coronavirus infections.
The country added almost 40,000 cases yesterday, an all-time high, according to the Robert Koch Institute.
The surge has been blamed on Germany's relatively low vaccination rate, with just over 67% of the population fully inoculated.
Some hospitals have started postponing non-urgent surgeries again to care for a rapidly growing number of coronavirus patients. – AFP, November 11, 2021
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