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The outdoor catering could again serve guests in a fourth opening step
Photo: Bodo Marks / dpa
At the Prime Minister's Conference, the federal and state governments decided on a way to relax the corona pandemic.
Germany is now on the threshold of a new phase of the pandemic, "which we cannot enter with carelessness, but with justified hopes," said Chancellor Angela Merkel late on Wednesday evening.
In order to slowly reopen society, the federal and state governments agreed to open five steps.
However, these are subject to the current infection situation.
If the seven-day incidence in a country or region rises to more than 100 new infections on three consecutive days, the rules that were in effect until March 7th come back into force on the second following working day.
In terms of a calendar week, this means that if the seven-day incidence on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were more than 100, the lockdown would be tightened again, and the alleviations would be canceled again.
Merkel called this procedure an "emergency brake".
In principle, the lockdown will be extended until March 28th.
At the same time, however, the first easing will come into force next Monday.
These regulations apply from March 8th:
First opening step:
The possibility of
private get-togethers with friends, relatives and acquaintances
is expanded: Meetings between your own household and another household are possible, but limited to a maximum of five people.
Children up to 14 years are not counted.
Couples are considered household items.
In regions with a seven-day incidence of fewer than 35 new infections, private get-togethers can be extended to include your own and two other households with a total of ten people.
Here, too, children up to the age of 14 are exempt.
In a
second opening step
,
bookshops, flower shops and garden centers
in the public sector are
assigned to the retail trade for daily needs.
Accordingly, they are allowed to reopen with appropriate hygiene concepts and restrictions by customers.
This also applies to
service providers as well as driving and flight schools
.
However, a test concept is required for the services.
Third opening step:
Countries with a seven-day incidence of less than 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants can
initiate
the opening of the
retail trade
.
Accordingly, the number of authorized customers will be adapted to the size of the sales area.
In addition,
museums, galleries, zoological and botanical gardens and memorials are allowed
to reopen.
Non-contact
sports
can also take place outdoors in groups of up to ten people.
However, there may already be restricted openings at decreasing or stable incidence values of less than 100.
Then federal states can open the retail trade with prior appointments.
Appointments, including contact tracking, are then also provided for museums, galleries, zoological and botanical gardens and memorials.
Sports in groups of up to ten people, with an incidence of more than 100, only children up to 14 years of age are allowed to practice outdoors.
In a
fourth opening step
, the opening of
outdoor restaurants and cinemas, theaters as well as concert and opera houses is
promised.
For this, the seven-day incidence must be stable with fewer than 50 new infections 14 days after the third opening step has come into effect.
Then contact-free
sport
indoors or contact
sport
outdoors can be practiced again.
If the seven-day incidence remains or falls below the mark of 100 new infections, the outdoor catering may open 14 days after the third opening step with prior appointment booking, documentation and contact tracking.
A daily test is required for tables with people from several households.
In this case, the compulsory test also applies to cultural establishments and sports.
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Planned opening steps in the corona pandemic
Photo: Federal Government
In a
fifth opening step
,
leisure
events
with up to 50 participants
can be
allowed
outdoors as well as
contact sports
indoors.
To do this, however, the seven-day incidence must remain stable for 14 days after the third opening step has come into effect with fewer than 50 new infections.
If the seven-day incidence increases to more than 50 new infections on three consecutive days, the following regulations come into force.
If there is a stable or falling seven-day incidence of less than 100 new infections in the country or region, retailers may reopen with a limit on the number of customers.
This also includes non-contact sports indoors and contact sports outdoors without a test requirement.
At the
workplace
, contacts should continue to be reduced.
That is why the regulation on working from home is being extended until April 30th.
If the activities permit, employers must enable their employees to work from home.
Merkel said the easing should be secured through quick and self-tests.
Every citizen should be able to be tested free of charge once a week.
"This offer is valid from March 8th, and the corresponding test centers will be made available on site." The federal government will cover the costs.
Self-tests, which are easier to use, should also be used in schools and daycare centers.
The federal states will discuss areas not mentioned in the resolution paper and other opening steps on March 22nd.
The document states that the federal and state governments continue to »urgently« appeal to all citizens to »refrain from travel that is not absolutely necessary at home and abroad«.
After returning from a foreign risk area, entry in a digital entry registration is mandatory; there is also an obligation to quarantine for a period of ten days.
The quarantine can be lifted by a negative test on the fifth day after entry.
However, this does not apply to those arriving from "virus variant areas", in which case a strict quarantine of 14 days must be observed.
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