Germany on Thursday reintroduced coronavirus restrictions on smaller areas. The new strategy was announced by federal and regional governments.
Helge Braun, the government official responsible for overseeing the country’s pandemic response, on Tuesday said Germany is considering local travel bans to curb fresh outbreaks, as the rate of new infections now averages about three per 100,000 inhabitants a week.
He added, however, a second wave can be avoided if people respect social distancing rules. Germany’s success in curbing the outbreak was attributed to swift action during the early stages of the pandemic. It has managed the pandemic with less intrusive measures such as closing schools and bars and banning large gatherings.
Under the new plan, areas with localised coronavirus outbreaks will be closed off more fully, with residents prohibited from travelling beyond their borders. Hotels will also be prohibited from taking in guests from coronavirus “hotspots” who do not have an up-to-date negative coronavirus test.
The threshold for localised curbs remains at 50 new infections per 100,000 residents over a one-week period, but local authorities can now restrict non-essential travel into and out of affected areas if that rate is reached.
