With a third wave of coronavirus infections sweeping the nation, Germany has reimposed its lockdown protocols in an attempt to control the spread of the virus, NBC News reports.
After experiencing the bottom of a dip one month ago, the seven-day running averages of new cases in Germany has rebounded to double the most recent low point, with the average increasing about 70% in the past five weeks as the British variant has swept through Europe.
“We are now basically in a new pandemic. The British mutation has become dominant,” Chancellor Angela Merkel told a news conference. “Fundamentally, we face a new virus of the same kind but with very different characteristics. More deadly, more infectious, and infectious for longer.”
Merkel is asking Germans to stay home for five days starting April 1st, over the Easter weekend. The agreement falls short of a full lockdown, with stores remaining open. Large gatherings will be banned, and families are asked to keep holiday gatherings to just two households.
The German government has asked churches to avoid in-person services and instead hold online celebrations. Hotels and guesthouses are not allowed to rent rooms to tourists, meaning Germans looking to have a vacation over the holiday will have to travel out of the country.