Germany’s capital, Berlin, will ban unvaccinated people from restaurants, bars, cinemas and other entertainment venues starting next Monday (15), as the country faces its biggest increase in Covid-19 cases in the pandemic .
Health officials reported 50,196 new cases this Thursday (11), the fourth day in a row that Germany broke its record for new infections.
Starting next week, those who are not fully vaccinated will be excluded from various entertainment venues in Berlin, announced the city’s Senate on Wednesday (10), expanding the so-called “2G” rules, which prohibit the entry of people without two vaccines.
Outdoor events with more than 2,000 visitors will also be banned for unvaccinated adults, officials said.
The move comes amid an escalation in anti-unvaccinated rhetoric from national ministers in Germany, where vaccination implementation has lagged behind in several western European neighbors.
Chancellor Angela Merkel, in a video message posted on the country’s government website on Wednesday night, said, “In Germany, I must unfortunately say that our vaccination rate is not high enough to prevent rapid spread virus” calling for swift action at the national level to spur the release.
Covid-19 in Germany
Germany has fully vaccinated 66.7% of its population, leaving one in three people unprotected.
Infections have soared in recent days, and the country’s seven-day incidence rate rose to 249.1 cases per 100,000 people this Thursday (11), from 154.5 cases a week ago.
Hospitalizations and deaths remain at a much lower level than at previous peaks, but there is growing concern about gaps in immunization coverage across the country as it moves into the winter months.
Health Minister Jens Spahn said the country is facing a “massive” pandemic of unvaccinated people, an early sign that the government is directing unprotected people to join the vaccination program.
Merkel also called on Wednesday a meeting of the country’s 16 federal prime ministers “as soon as possible” to ensure “harmonious” measures at the national level.
Coronavirus vaccine
Germany’s federal prime ministers are primarily responsible for imposing and lifting the restrictions, but the country’s new parliament is debating on Thursday whether to transfer coronavirus measures from the national level to regional leaders.
In an obstacle to its attempts to expand implementation, Germany’s vaccine committee recommended that people under 30 be vaccinated only with the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine, after observing a higher number of cases of cardiac inflammation in people younger than have received Modern instead of Pfizer.
In a press release on Wednesday, STIKO said its recommendation applies as much to the initial vaccination as it does to any possible booster injections. “Even if another vaccine has been used previously, other vaccinations must be administered with Comirnaty [Pfizer / BioNTech]”, said the document.
Martin Goillandeau, da CNN, contributed reporting.
(*This article has been translated. Click here to read the original in English)
Reference: CNN Brasil
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