Today in Germany: A round-up of the latest news on Monday
Find out what's going on in Germany today with The Local's short round-up of the news.
Travel firms in Germany dealing with massive losses
The German travel industry is struggling with billions in losses due to the coronavirus crisis, according to experts.
"Companies in the travel industry are recording revenue losses of more than 80 per cent," which equals asround €28 billion for 2020, President of the German Travel Association (DRV), Norbert Fiebig, told Handelsblatt on Monday.
A massive 11,000 travel agencies, 2,300 tour operators and thousands of tourism service providers are currently "de facto closed", said Feibig. With a few exceptions, travel warnings and restrictions have "brought the tourist travel market to a complete standstill".
Travel agencies and tour operators are "traders without goods", added Feibig. There are travel restrictions currently in place for most countries around the world.
The DRV called for more support from the German government to secure the 2.9 million jobs in the travel industry.
German vocabulary: loss of sales/loss of revenue - (der) Umsatzausfall
READ ALSO: What are Germany's planned new coronavirus restrictions?
Four injured after huge fire at Berlin underground station
More than 100 firefighters have put out a blaze which broke out at the U-Bahn station Onkel Toms Hütte on Sunday night.
Four people were injured in the fire. One man is seriously injured, said emergency services.
The fire reportedly started in a shop at the underground station in Zehlendorf and spread to the roof. It was brought under control during the night, according to the fire brigade.
The U3 underground line between Breitenbachplatz and Krumme Lanke is not running due to the fire. A replacement bus service has been set up.
German vocabulary: fire brigade - (die) Feuerwehr
Firefighters at the scene after the fire at the U-Bahn station Onkel Toms Hütte in Berlin. Photo: DPA
Improvements to coronavirus app
Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn has presented a concept for improving the so-called 'Corona Warning App'. His idea is for users to be informed several times a day about possible risk encounters. And in the case of a positive coronavirus finding, they will be reminded a number of times to share their test results with other users.
According to the report seen by Spiegel, the Corona-Warn-App has now registered around 22.4 million downloads.
However, many users have so far only been using the app passively. They let themselves be warned of possible risk contacts, but do not enter their own positive test results – and therefore do not warn their contacts. Recently, only about 2,200 users registered their positive result in the app on a weekly average. In view of the current infection figures, this is only a fraction of the newly infected.
Therefore, a "reminder function" is to be integrated into the application in the future, under the plans. "The notification should be displayed two hours after the positive test result is displayed to remind the user that the test result has not yet been released," the paper says.
A further reminder should be displayed after four hours, according to plans. In addition, the Ministry plans to simplify the user interface to make it easier to register. Reporting your own infection results will remain voluntary.
German vocabulary: reminder function - (die) Erinnerungsfunktion
READ ALSO: 'Only problem is that it's optional': The verdict on the coronavirus tracing app
Weather report
Germany has so far been experiencing a fairly mild November. That continues on Monday November 16th with highs of 15C.
Across the country there are short sunny spells with clouds in between. Towards the North Sea showers are forecast. There are lows of 9C. The German Weather Service also said there was likely to be stormy winds at high altitudes and at the North Sea.
On Tuesday there are heavy clouds and rain forecast for the northern half of the country, moving eastwards during the day. In the south it's forecast to be dry with longer sunny spells. There are again highs of 15C and lows of 9C.
German vocabulary: cloudy - bewölkt
More cases of African swine fever in Germany
Two more cases of African swine fever have been confirmed in the corpses of wild boars in Saxony, reported broadcaster MDR.
The Saxon Ministry of Social Affairs announced on Sunday that the bodies of several dead wild boars had been discovered in the district of Görlitz, close to the Polish border. The Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute detected the virus in two of the animals that were examined. Further samples were negative.
The first case of the disease in Saxony was detected at the end of October in the district of Görlitz. A restricted zone was immediately set up, and a search for more boars got underway.
A wild boar. Photo: DPA
Swine fever is not dangerous to humans as it is not a zoonosis, a disease which can be transmitted from animals to the human population.
But it is highly infectious and fatal for boars and domesticated pigs. It first arrived in Europe in 2007 and has been spreading slowly through the east of the continent ever since.
If the disease were to spread into the agricultural swine sector it could have a harmful impact on exports, as China, the largest pork market in the world, currently buys large quantities of pork from Germany.
The first case in Germany was discovered in September this year.
German vocabulary: restricted zone/area - (die) Sperrzone
READ ALSO: First case of African swine fever confirmed in Germany
Thank you for reading. If you have any thoughts or questions about life in Germany, you are always welcome to email our editorial team at [email protected].
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Travel firms in Germany dealing with massive losses
The German travel industry is struggling with billions in losses due to the coronavirus crisis, according to experts.
"Companies in the travel industry are recording revenue losses of more than 80 per cent," which equals asround €28 billion for 2020, President of the German Travel Association (DRV), Norbert Fiebig, told Handelsblatt on Monday.
A massive 11,000 travel agencies, 2,300 tour operators and thousands of tourism service providers are currently "de facto closed", said Feibig. With a few exceptions, travel warnings and restrictions have "brought the tourist travel market to a complete standstill".
Travel agencies and tour operators are "traders without goods", added Feibig. There are travel restrictions currently in place for most countries around the world.
The DRV called for more support from the German government to secure the 2.9 million jobs in the travel industry.
German vocabulary: loss of sales/loss of revenue - (der) Umsatzausfall
READ ALSO: What are Germany's planned new coronavirus restrictions?
Four injured after huge fire at Berlin underground station
More than 100 firefighters have put out a blaze which broke out at the U-Bahn station Onkel Toms Hütte on Sunday night.
Four people were injured in the fire. One man is seriously injured, said emergency services.
The fire reportedly started in a shop at the underground station in Zehlendorf and spread to the roof. It was brought under control during the night, according to the fire brigade.
The U3 underground line between Breitenbachplatz and Krumme Lanke is not running due to the fire. A replacement bus service has been set up.
German vocabulary: fire brigade - (die) Feuerwehr
Firefighters at the scene after the fire at the U-Bahn station Onkel Toms Hütte in Berlin. Photo: DPA
Improvements to coronavirus app
Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn has presented a concept for improving the so-called 'Corona Warning App'. His idea is for users to be informed several times a day about possible risk encounters. And in the case of a positive coronavirus finding, they will be reminded a number of times to share their test results with other users.
According to the report seen by Spiegel, the Corona-Warn-App has now registered around 22.4 million downloads.
However, many users have so far only been using the app passively. They let themselves be warned of possible risk contacts, but do not enter their own positive test results – and therefore do not warn their contacts. Recently, only about 2,200 users registered their positive result in the app on a weekly average. In view of the current infection figures, this is only a fraction of the newly infected.
Therefore, a "reminder function" is to be integrated into the application in the future, under the plans. "The notification should be displayed two hours after the positive test result is displayed to remind the user that the test result has not yet been released," the paper says.
A further reminder should be displayed after four hours, according to plans. In addition, the Ministry plans to simplify the user interface to make it easier to register. Reporting your own infection results will remain voluntary.
German vocabulary: reminder function - (die) Erinnerungsfunktion
READ ALSO: 'Only problem is that it's optional': The verdict on the coronavirus tracing app
Weather report
Germany has so far been experiencing a fairly mild November. That continues on Monday November 16th with highs of 15C.
Across the country there are short sunny spells with clouds in between. Towards the North Sea showers are forecast. There are lows of 9C. The German Weather Service also said there was likely to be stormy winds at high altitudes and at the North Sea.
On Tuesday there are heavy clouds and rain forecast for the northern half of the country, moving eastwards during the day. In the south it's forecast to be dry with longer sunny spells. There are again highs of 15C and lows of 9C.
German vocabulary: cloudy - bewölkt
More cases of African swine fever in Germany
Two more cases of African swine fever have been confirmed in the corpses of wild boars in Saxony, reported broadcaster MDR.
The Saxon Ministry of Social Affairs announced on Sunday that the bodies of several dead wild boars had been discovered in the district of Görlitz, close to the Polish border. The Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute detected the virus in two of the animals that were examined. Further samples were negative.
The first case of the disease in Saxony was detected at the end of October in the district of Görlitz. A restricted zone was immediately set up, and a search for more boars got underway.
A wild boar. Photo: DPA
Swine fever is not dangerous to humans as it is not a zoonosis, a disease which can be transmitted from animals to the human population.
But it is highly infectious and fatal for boars and domesticated pigs. It first arrived in Europe in 2007 and has been spreading slowly through the east of the continent ever since.
If the disease were to spread into the agricultural swine sector it could have a harmful impact on exports, as China, the largest pork market in the world, currently buys large quantities of pork from Germany.
The first case in Germany was discovered in September this year.
German vocabulary: restricted zone/area - (die) Sperrzone
READ ALSO: First case of African swine fever confirmed in Germany
Thank you for reading. If you have any thoughts or questions about life in Germany, you are always welcome to email our editorial team at [email protected].
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