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German leaders agreed on Friday to tighten entry criteria for restaurants and bars as well as to shorten the quarantine and self-isolation period for vaccinated people, as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is spreading rapidly across the country.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the 16 leaders of the German states decided to tighten the restrictions introduced after Christmas, limiting the gathering of people to ten people and closing nightclubs.
German citizens previously had to prove that they were fully vaccinated so that they could access restaurants and bars, but also other non-essential shops, theaters and cinemas.
Friday’s decision calls for the reinstatement of this measure for restaurants and bars. All persons wishing to enter these gastronomy premises must now prove that they have received the booster dose of the coronavirus vaccine or submit a negative test or evidence that they have recovered from COVID-19 disease.
“Half of the population will receive the booster dose within a few days,” and they will be able to go to restaurants without showing a negative test, Berlin Mayor Franziska Giffey told reporters. “This is an additional incentive to take the booster dose,” she added.
However, the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt has not agreed to impose this measure because in this state most cases are with the Delta variant, while the representatives of Bavaria said they are skeptical about this measure.
Scholz and other leaders have agreed to shorten the quarantine and veto time, which is currently up to 14 days.
People immunized with the booster dose will not be forced to isolate themselves after contact with any infected. This measure will also apply to persons vaccinated with both doses or who have recovered from the coronavirus in the last three months.
Meanwhile, other people will need to be quarantined or self-isolated for ten days and if they have no symptoms, they can shorten the isolation period to seven days after testing negative for coronavirus.
“These are strike rules, but they are pragmatic and are intended to facilitate current measures,” Scholz said.
On Friday, Germany reported 56,335 new cases of coronavirus. Meanwhile, health authorities said that 44.3 percent of cases in Germany last week were with Omicron, a higher figure compared to a week ago when 15.8 percent of cases were with this variant.
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