Berlin to exclude unvaccinated people from indoor dining, bars and hairdressers
Germany's capital Berlin will tighten Covid rules by denying unvaccinated people access to many indoor public places like restaurants, bars, gyms and hairdressers in an effort to contain a coronavirus resurgence.
Under new rules in the city-state set to come into force on Monday, only fully vaccinated people and those who can show proof of recovery from Covid-19 will be able to 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 on Wednesday evening.
Theatres, museums and outdoor events with more than 2,000 visitors such as football games will all be off-limits to unvaccinated adults.
READ ALSO: Tougher Covid measures needed to stop 100,000 more deaths, says German virologist
Minors and people who can't get jabbed for health reasons will not be affected by the new restrictions, for them a negative test will suffice.
Up to now, Berlin has given private businesses the option to have 2G rather than 3G rules. 3G means people can enter a premise with proof of vaccination (geimpft), recovery from Covid (genesen) or a negative test (getestet).
Companies in the capital are encouraged to ask employees to work from home more, and to limit office attendance to 50 percent 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 on Wednesday, an all-time high, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).
The surge has been blamed on Germany's relatively low vaccination rate, with just over 67 percent of the population fully inoculated.
READ ALSO: Why are so many Germans reluctant to get vaccinated?
Some hospitals have started postponing non-urgent surgeries again to care for a rapidly growing number of coronavirus patients.
'The virus doesn't care'
Under Germany's federal system, its 16 regional states have significant powers to shape their own coronavirus approaches, at times leading to a confusing patchwork of rules across the country.
The hard-hit eastern state of Saxony introduced stricter "2G" measures at the start of the week, while other states including Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg are also introducing tougher curbs on the unvaccinated.
The worsening pandemic comes with Germany in political limbo after a September general election.
The winning Social Democrats are in talks to form a new coalition government by early December with Finance Minister Olaf Scholz as chancellor.
Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel, who remains in office for now, called for an urgent meeting between the federal government and regional leaders to agree coordinated measures.
"The virus doesn't care that we have a caretaker government or that we're in the middle of coalition negotiations," she told a press conference.
Germany's current vaccination rate "is sadly not high enough to prevent a rapid spreading of the virus", she warned.
READ ALSO: Germany to bring back free Covid tests
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Under new rules in the city-state set to come into force on Monday, only fully vaccinated people and those who can show proof of recovery from Covid-19 will be able to 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 on Wednesday evening.
Theatres, museums and outdoor events with more than 2,000 visitors such as football games will all be off-limits to unvaccinated adults.
READ ALSO: Tougher Covid measures needed to stop 100,000 more deaths, says German virologist
Minors and people who can't get jabbed for health reasons will not be affected by the new restrictions, for them a negative test will suffice.
Up to now, Berlin has given private businesses the option to have 2G rather than 3G rules. 3G means people can enter a premise with proof of vaccination (geimpft), recovery from Covid (genesen) or a negative test (getestet).
Companies in the capital are encouraged to ask employees to work from home more, and to limit office attendance to 50 percent 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 on Wednesday, an all-time high, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).
The surge has been blamed on Germany's relatively low vaccination rate, with just over 67 percent of the population fully inoculated.
READ ALSO: Why are so many Germans reluctant to get vaccinated?
Some hospitals have started postponing non-urgent surgeries again to care for a rapidly growing number of coronavirus patients.
'The virus doesn't care'
Under Germany's federal system, its 16 regional states have significant powers to shape their own coronavirus approaches, at times leading to a confusing patchwork of rules across the country.
The hard-hit eastern state of Saxony introduced stricter "2G" measures at the start of the week, while other states including Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg are also introducing tougher curbs on the unvaccinated.
The worsening pandemic comes with Germany in political limbo after a September general election.
The winning Social Democrats are in talks to form a new coalition government by early December with Finance Minister Olaf Scholz as chancellor.
Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel, who remains in office for now, called for an urgent meeting between the federal government and regional leaders to agree coordinated measures.
"The virus doesn't care that we have a caretaker government or that we're in the middle of coalition negotiations," she told a press conference.
Germany's current vaccination rate "is sadly not high enough to prevent a rapid spreading of the virus", she warned.
READ ALSO: Germany to bring back free Covid tests
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