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EXPLAINED: How Hamburg is relaxing its Covid rules

DPA/The Local
DPA/The Local - [email protected]
EXPLAINED: How Hamburg is relaxing its Covid rules
People on the Hamburg harbour front in late May. Photo: dpa | Georg Wendt

Germany’s second largest city is relaxing its coronavirus rules on Tuesday, reflecting an improving epidemic situation in the harbour city.

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The Hamburg city senate has agreed a whole host of new relaxations to its pandemic rules, which will come into force at midnight on Tuesday.

The city justified the move by saying that "infection rates have stayed stable in recent weeks despite the lifting of many restrictions."

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The relaxations to the rules come as the northern city-sate has a current rate of 11 cases per 100,000 residents over a period of seven days.

Gatherings & events

Starting Tuesday, ten people from different households will be able to meet indoors again. Up until now only five people from separate households have been allowed to meet inside.

People who have recovered and those who are fully vaccinated are not bound by the restrictions, nor are children.

Gatherings of up to ten people outdoors are already allowed.

Any gathering larger than that is treated like an official event. That means that people still need to present a negative test when they arrive and have to wear face masks when standing.

Weddings, which are considered to be events without fixed seating, can take place outdoors with up to 250 people, or up to 50 people indoors.

For events with fixed seating, there will now be a limit of 500 guests for outdoor events and 100 guests indoors.

Dining & shopping

In the gastronomy sector, people are allowed to eat and drink once again while standing. Indoor diners will still have to provide a negative test result. Everyone will have to provide contact details for contact tracing purposes.

Large stores can also now allow in double the amount of shoppers - up from one person per 20 square metres to two people per 20 square metres.

Tourism, sport, religion

Some sporting activities will become considerably easier: the city will once again allow indoor contact sport with up to ten participants.

People taking tours of the city or its harbour will no longer have to provide a negative test, while they will only have to wear medical masks rather than FFP2 masks.

There is also good news for religious communities: singing will once again be allowed in the city's churches and other places of worship.

SEE ALSO: Hamburg to open restaurants earlier than planned as Covid incidence falls below 50 mark

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