Germany’s Lockdown Decision about Christmas

Berlin, Dec 13 (AFP/APP): Chancellor Angela Merkel will hold crisis talks Sunday with regional leaders of Germany’s 16 states to agree on tougher curbs including the closure of shops ahead of Christmas, as coronavirus infections surge unabated.

The drastic measures hitting shops other than those selling essential goods would be imposed from Wednesday until at least January 10, according to a draft by Merkel’s office seen by AFP. Schools could also be shuttered, sending pupils into homeschooling, while companies are requested to allow employees to work from home during the period.

Bavarian state premier Markus Soeder, who has been pushing for tougher measures, voiced support for the measures. “The numbers are worse than ever, we mustn’t allow ourselves to get bogged down by individual measures,” he told Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

Along with Merkel, Soeder has for weeks been seeking tougher restrictions, warning that the current round of shutdowns hitting theatres, cinemas, gyms, and indoor dining was not far-reaching enough.

But the implementation of the restrictions are in the hands of individual states, and some regions where infection levels were lower had been resistant to impose tough curbs.

The mood however tipped over in the last week after Germany recorded new daily death tolls reaching close to 600.

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