Covid-19: Vaccination will be mandatory in Germany and restrictions grow
Vaccination against covid-19 in Germany could be mandatory from next year, announced today (2) Chancellor Angela Merkel. In parallel, more restrictive measures will also be imposed on the population that has not yet been vaccinated. She will be prevented from having access to most cultural and leisure services.
The decision was announced during a conference that brought together the current chancellor and her successor, Olaf Scholz, who is expected to be elected in the Bundestag [parliament] next week.
Merkel and Scholz agreed to draft a bill to make vaccination mandatory. The document will be submitted to parliament to take effect between February and March.
The two leaders also reached an agreement with representatives of the 16 federal states of Germany to prevent access of those who have not yet been vaccinated to cultural and leisure services, with the exception of essential establishments such as supermarkets, pharmacies or bakeries.
This new system prohibits the access of unvaccinated people to bars, restaurants, theatres, cinemas, sports venues or non-essential shops. Furthermore, they are also limited to contact with a maximum of two people outside their household.
alarming numbers
So far, Germany has 68.7% of the vaccinated population (80% of the adult population). In recent days, covid-19 numbers in the country have stabilized but remain alarming, with many hospitals near a breaking point. The emergence of a new variant, the Ômicron, only increased the risks of overloading hospitals even more in the coming days.
"The amount of work at hospitals is close to reaching limits," warned Angela Merkel. The German chancellor called for vaccination and said the new rules were "an act of national solidarity" with the aim of reducing the daily number of new infections.
Olaf Scholz, who is expected to succeed Angela Merkel from next Wednesday, recognizes that the health situation in the country is "very, very difficult" and that infection numbers have stabilized, "but at a level too high". Today, Germany has recorded another 73,000 new infections and 388 deaths from covid-19.
The future German chancellor also said that the priority now is "to convince those who have not yet been vaccinated". Merkel and Scholz's government plans to apply another 30,000 doses of vaccines by Christmas.
Text translated using artificial intelligence.
