Advertisement

Germany allows two households to meet as coronavirus contact ban eased

DPA/The Local
DPA/The Local - [email protected]
Germany allows two households to meet as coronavirus contact ban eased
People in Berlin's Tempelhof airfield on April 4th 2020. Photo: DPA

The German-wide requirement of maintaining 1.5 metres of distance between people has been extended until June 5th – but the number of people who can meet up is no longer limited to two.

Advertisement

People from two separate households can meet from now on, Chancellor Angela Merkel and the country’s 16 state premiers decided on Wednesday May 6th.

The previous requirement stated that only two people (excluding families or those from the same household) could meet outside in public.

Over the past weeks, federal and state governments have been debating how to ease the lockdown and social distancing restrictions put in place to stem the spread of coronavirus.

READ ALSO: Coronavirus: How to do social distancing in Germany

Some states have already relaxed the contact ban rules: in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, for example, five people not belonging to the same household have been allowed to meet since Monday.

Prior to Wednesday’s meeting, Merkel supported the measure from the western state of Saarland, which allows two households to meet.

Advertisement

The measure was also also backed by Schleswig-Holstein's Minister President Daniel Günther, of the centre-right CDU, and Bavaria's head of government Markus Söder, of the CDU's Bavarian sister party, the CSU, who said it matched up well with "the realities of life."

During the the meeting it was also decided that all shops in Germany reopen under certain hygienic conditions, thus lifting the previous restriction of 800 square metres. 

Before the conference call, state premiers had gone public with their own plans for further easing the restrictions.

Meanwhile, a draft plan was drawn up before the meeting, detailing what life after lockdown could look like.

Merkel is expected to issue an official statement later on Wednesday. 

READ ALSO: Germany set to reopen all shops and schools in May

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

Anonymous 2020/06/03 23:07
Is this rule to meet at public places or at home ? Can I invite 3 or 4 household over to my home ?

See Also