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Brandenburg's Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke and Minister of Health Ursula Nonnenmacher announce new corona measures
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Fabian Sommer / dpa
The popular holiday region Berchtesgadener Land is the sudden nationwide attention rather unpleasant.
You have beautiful landscapes, but you didn't necessarily want to be interesting because of the corona crisis, said District Administrator Bernhard Kern (CSU) on Tuesday.
But: "It finally got us."
His county is the first to see comprehensive lockdown measures again this fall.
On Monday, the number of new corona infections per 100,000 inhabitants within a week was 272.8 - and thus at the top nationwide.
Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder urged a lockdown, and the authorities issued strict exit restrictions.
On Tuesday, the incidence fell slightly to 236.01.
Leaving one's own home is initially only permitted for 14 days in the Berchtesgadener Land with good reason.
This includes the exercise of professional activities, necessary shopping, but also sport and exercise in the fresh air - but only on your own or with members of your own household (read more about the restrictions here).
Hundreds of tourists had to leave on Tuesday.
The Berchtesgadener Land Tourismus GmbH estimated the number of guests who wanted to spend some autumn holidays in the mountain idyll around Watzmann and Königssee at almost 2500.
The authorities' biggest problem: They don't know how the massive increase in the corona numbers came about.
It is a diffuse event, said District Administrator Kern.
A concrete cause cannot be determined - it is also not a private event.
"It is not due to a single celebration that took place in the county."
Kern announced that soldiers from the Bundeswehr should arrive on Wednesday to support the district office in tracking the chains of infection.
The most important thing now is that the population supports the restrictions.
He hopes that this will soon bring back single-digit numbers at the so-called incidence value - and be able to reopen the schools on November 9th after the autumn break.
Brandenburg: Minister sees Germany "at a turning point"
In other regions of Germany, too, the authorities felt compelled to issue stricter rules in view of the increasing number of infections.
In Brandenburg, for example, in regions with high numbers of infections, stricter restrictions on private celebrations and a night-time ban on serving will be implemented.
This was announced by Health Minister Ursula Nonnemacher (Greens) after the cabinet meeting in Potsdam.
The neighboring country France has already had to declare a health emergency in view of the rising number of infections, warned the minister.
"In Germany we are at a turning point."
The cabinet decided that from 35 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within a week in these districts and urban districts, only up to 25 instead of the current 50 people may celebrate in public spaces and 15 instead of 25 people at home.
There is a ban on serving alcohol from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. in pubs, restaurants and pubs.
The city of Cottbus is already a corona risk area with a so-called 7-day incidence of 87.3.
From a value of 50, only up to ten people are allowed to meet in public in the affected regions after the resolutions.
For celebrations, the upper limits should drop to ten people in public spaces and ten of up to two households in private spaces.
Municipalities can issue a mask requirement in busy public places and in shopping centers.
Berlin makes mask compulsory for markets and busy streets
The Berlin Senate also tightened the corona requirements.
Among them is a mask requirement for markets and ten busy streets in the capital, as the Senate announced.
He also made the "urgent recommendation" to wear a mask in public spaces where the minimum distance of 1.5 meters cannot be maintained.
There are also new contact restrictions in the private sector.
"We can only call on everyone again to become aware of the situation," said the governing mayor of Berlin, Michael Müller (SPD).
The starting point for the infection process are often celebrations in the private sector.
The new regulations do not initially mean a general mask requirement, which Health Senator Dilek Kalayci (SPD) had previously discussed.
Among the ten busy streets where mouth and nose protection is now mandatory are Schloßstraße in Steglitz and the Kurfürstendamm shopping street.
However, this list was "not exhaustive" and could therefore be adapted if necessary, said Müller.
The contact restrictions in the private sector are also tightened.
The upper limit for private celebrations in the open air has been reduced from 50 to 25 people.
The curfew in Berlin remains, despite the successful lawsuit by eleven Berlin restaurateurs.
You are waiting for the decision of the next court instance and want to legally secure the curfew with a new regulation, said Müller.
Accommodation rules in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania overturned
In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the higher administrative court overturned the previously applicable accommodation restrictions for holiday guests from domestic corona risk areas.
The state government was unable to provide an objective reason why guests staying in high-risk areas should be treated differently than schoolchildren, students or commuters, the court said.
This means that holiday guests from risk areas will also be able to travel in future without a prior corona test and will not have to be in quarantine.
Chancellor Helge Braun (CDU) sharply criticized citizens who celebrate parties and violate state rules.
"This is not a trivial offense, but behavior that is harmful to society," he told the "Stern".
Germany has come through the corona crisis comparatively well so far.
"The only thing we can do to ruin our success is our need for leisure."
At the same time, he made it clear that he considers further tightening of the corona rules to be necessary.
The resolutions of the prime ministers last Wednesday would "not completely slow down the enormous increase".
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