Germany is facing a fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic, promoting the nation to announce new restrictions for unvaccinated people, according to CNBC.
On Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the nation’s 16 state premiers agreed on new measures to tackle the fourth wave of the COVID pandemic, as the number of cases continues to surge.
Merkel told a news conference, “Many of the measures we are announcing would not be necessary if more people were vaccinated,” according to a Reuters translation.
The measures reportedly include a limit on public life for the unvaccinated in areas that exceed a certain threshold of hospital admissions.
Merkel also announced that country was also considering making it mandatory for hospital staff to be vaccinated and free testing will resume shortly.
Several states and cities in Germany have started imposing more measures, requiring people to show Covid passes that mention the vaccination status or the recovery status. People with these passes are allowed to access bars, restaurants, and other public places like museums or theaters.
Germany broke its all-time record on Thursday, with officials reporting more than 65,000 new cases. In fact, the health officials warned that the true figures could be even two or three times more.
Describing the current situation as “dramatic,” Merkel told an event for the Association of German Cities on Wednesday, “The fourth wave is hitting our country with full force.”
She said, “The number of daily new infections is higher than ever before … and the daily death toll is also frightening,” adding that it was not too late to get vaccinated.
The new measures also include limiting public transport to people who have been vaccinated or tested.
In Belgium, new controls have been announced, where children aged 10 and above will have to wear masks indoors, and working from home will be mandatory four days a week, according to BBC.
The Czech Republic and Slovakia have also announced strict restrictions for unvaccinated people in order to encourage vaccine uptake.
Czech Health Minister Adam Vojtech said, “The main goal of these measures is motivation for vaccinations.”
Prime Minister Slovakia Eduard Heger has described it as a “lockdown for the unvaccinated.”
