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The decorated Christmas tree in front of the Brandenburg Gate in 2009 - at that time you could celebrate with the family without hesitation
Photo: Markus Schreiber / AP
At the weekend, the federal and state governments want to discuss again which measures are necessary in the fight against the corona pandemic - and which tightening it should be.
The important question for many people is: What are the rules on public holidays?
The federal states can decide independently on tougher measures.
Some have already done it or announced it.
The overview:
Baden-Wuerttemberg
Baden-Württemberg has tightened the measures in the fight against the pandemic.
Exit restrictions apply from Saturday.
Good reasons to leave the house are, for example, work, attending religious events, but also walking and doing sports (during the day) or doing the shopping.
The serving of alcohol in public places is prohibited.
The Prime Minister has questioned the relaxation of the contact restrictions; they are currently to apply in Baden-Württemberg from December 23rd to 27th.
A maximum of ten people from different households are allowed to meet during this time.
Bavaria
The Free State of Bavaria declared a disaster a few days ago.
Exit restrictions also apply here.
You can still leave the house to go shopping, to go to office or to work.
The relaxed contact restrictions over the Christmas holidays still apply here as well, 10 people from different households are allowed to come together from December 23rd to 26th.
The regulations in old people's homes and care facilities have been tightened, a maximum of one visitor per resident per day, a current negative corona test must be available and an FFP2 mask must be worn.
Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) has already called for further measures.
“We have to act, and act as quickly as possible.
We're running away again in Germany.
Suggestions are needed to end the crisis, not prolong it, ”he said.
Berlin
Berlin has not yet decided to tighten it.
The measures taken at the beginning of December are still in force.
"You should only leave your own home for important reasons," says the Senate.
As in all federal states, only five people from two households are allowed to meet at the same time, in Berlin children up to 12 years are not counted.
Masks are required in shopping centers and some busy streets.
The state government is planning further restrictions.
Governing Mayor Michael Müller said that he expected sharper cuts from December 20, including that the retail trade would be "significantly" shut down.
In Berlin there is no relaxation of the contact restrictions over Christmas, only five adults from two households are allowed to meet over the holidays.
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is planning to tighten the measures.
Among other things, the retail trade is to be closed except for grocery stores.
From Wednesday there will be distance learning in schools from the 7th grade onwards, with the exception of final classes and special needs classes.
In addition, there should be nationwide exit restrictions, a ban on alcohol consumption in public and a restriction on gatherings.
The details are still in the vote, it said from the state government.
This is particularly important in schools and in retail.
Bremen
Bremen has already tightened the measures, and the state government has already withdrawn the relaxation of contact restrictions over the holidays.
So only five adults from two households are allowed to meet at Christmas.
"We have to prevent our health system from being overloaded," said Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte (SPD).
From next Wednesday, attendance at schools will also be lifted.
The sale of take-away alcoholic beverages is prohibited from Monday.
Hamburg
The Hanseatic City of Hamburg has decided to tighten it, alcoholic beverages may no longer be sold to take away.
So far, meetings of five adults from two households are still allowed, and there are exceptions: If people are closely related to one another, the restriction to two households does not apply.
In busy public places, as in Berlin, a mask is compulsory, from the 5th grade also in school lessons.
During Christmas and New Year's Eve, the rule should still apply that up to 10 people from different households can meet.
According to NDR, the Senate is considering lifting this rule on the first day after Christmas.
Hesse
In Hesse it is still open what will be allowed on the Christmas holidays.
Prime Minister Volker Bouffier (CDU) pleaded for nationwide uniform regulations, especially when it comes to the closure of schools, shops and contacts at Christmas.
In his estimation, the weekend before the Christmas holidays (December 19/20) and the weekend after Christmas (December 26/27) are possible starting points for the hard lockdown.
Strict contact restrictions should apply no later than New Year's Eve.
Currently, up to five people from two households are allowed to meet in public spaces. In the private sector, the »urgent recommendation is to limit contacts in the same way«.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
So far, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has been less affected by the pandemic than other federal states.
Nevertheless, the number of infections is also rising sharply here.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) supports a tougher lockdown in Germany from December 21st.
"It is important that we decide this week how to proceed," she said on Deutschlandfunk.
The rule still applies that at Christmas, for example, church services can be attended and Christmas and New Year's Eve can be celebrated with 10 people from different households.
Public fireworks are already forbidden and the entry rules are strict, only the core family should be allowed to come to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony has already tightened the measures.
»Unfortunately, the previous shutdown light did not bring the expected results.
The number of infected people is rising again here, too, "said Prime Minister Stephan Weil.
Only five people from two different households should be allowed to meet over Christmas.
From Monday, schoolchildren are exempt from classroom teaching.
The state government has announced that it may close retail except for grocery stores between the holidays.
One wants to exchange ideas with other federal states.
»There is hardly any other area where uniform nationwide action is as popular as the closure of parts of the retail trade.
Otherwise we risk cross-border migration to go shopping, "said Weil.
North Rhine-Westphalia
Nothing has yet been decided in North Rhine-Westphalia, but Prime Minister Armin Laschet (CDU) announced stricter measures before Christmas.
The planned easing should therefore be omitted.
According to Laschet, all shops except grocery stores should be closed "as soon as possible".
For example, it has not yet been decided whether church services could take place at Christmas and, if so, in what framework.
As of Monday, the attendance requirement for schoolchildren is also lifted.
Up to grade 8, the parents of the students should decide whether they want to take part in the face-to-face classes that are still offered, after that there should be distance classes, which is not, however, the same as digital classes.
The Christmas holidays are also to be extended.
Rhineland-Palatinate
The corona cabinet in Rhineland-Palatinate has already decided to tighten the measures.
The retail trade is to be closed, except for grocery stores.
"This is a heavy blow for the industry, which we will not leave alone with the consequences," said Prime Minister Malu Dreyer (SPD).
The easing of the contact restrictions over the Christmas holidays "will not be implemented as planned in November," said a statement from the state government.
In addition, additional protective measures should apply in old people's homes and care facilities.
More precise concepts were not yet available.
Saarland
Individual further measures have already been decided in Saarland.
On Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, alcohol is prohibited in busy squares and streets.
Furthermore, the state government wants to ease the contact restrictions during the Christmas holidays, a total of ten people from three households "or the family circle" should be allowed to celebrate together.
That means only a slight tightening of the measures that have been in force until now.
On the one hand, you have to make sure that nobody is "lonely over Christmas", on the other hand "the days between the years must not become an infection accelerator," said Prime Minister Tobias Hans (CDU).
"With the new contact regulations over the holidays, we want to master this difficult balancing act," he said.
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony was the first federal state to announce particularly tough measures a few days ago.
In view of the high number of infections, schools, daycare centers and after-school care centers will be closed from Monday.
Sometimes shops are also closed from Monday.
Alcohol is forbidden in public spaces and there is a mask requirement.
In particularly affected areas, there is a curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Over Christmas to New Year, meetings with a maximum of 10 people should still be possible "with close family or friends".
Attending a church service is generally permitted; from an incidence value of 200, the number of participants can be limited to 50.
Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) said he considered "authoritarian measures by the state" to be necessary.
Saxony-Anhalt
The government in Saxony-Anhalt has announced that there will probably not be any relaxation of the corona rules on New Year's Eve.
The Christmas holidays are extended by two days.
Classes will not start on January 7th, but rather on January 11th.
The cabinet tightened the rules for old people's and nursing homes on Friday.
From Monday, its residents should only be allowed to receive one visitor per day.
Employees of care facilities and outpatient care services are to be tested for the corona virus twice a week using a rapid test.
Tests and any additional personnel required are to be paid for by the care insurance funds.
Schleswig-Holstein
In Schleswig-Holstein, instead of ten, only five people from a maximum of two households should be allowed to come together - even at Christmas.
Only the closest family is excluded, said Prime Minister Daniel Günther (CDU) on Friday in the Kiel state parliament.
As of this Saturday, the serving and drinking of alcohol in public is forbidden nationwide.
Further announced measures: From Monday there will be no face-to-face classes in schools from year 8 onwards.
For grades 1 to 7, parents are asked to check whether their children can stay at home.
There are no official restrictions on the offer in the daycare centers.
Günther appealed to all parents to look after their children at home, if possible.
Thuringia
The red-red-green state government in Thuringia decided in a special session on Friday night, among other things, shop closings and homeschooling from the first grade, as the state chancellery announced on Friday.
The cabinet still wants to advise on possible nightly exit restrictions and the regulations over the holidays.
According to the State Chancellery, most businesses in the retail and service industries will close on December 19, analogous to the example in Saxony.
Exceptions are, for example, grocery stores, pharmacies and hairdressers.
The hygiene requirements should be more strictly controlled for open shops.
In addition, the serving and consumption of alcohol in city centers and outdoors is prohibited.
There should be no relaxation of the contact restrictions to ten instead of five people on the Christmas holidays.
Icon: The mirror
höh / wit / dpa / Reuters
