Robert Besser
07 Dec 2021, 09:18 GMT+10
BERLIN, Germany: In a bid to halt the spread of the fourth wave of COVID-19 in Germany, national and regional leaders have placed additional restrictions on people who are not vaccinated against COVID-19, including barring them from much of public life.
The move was described by outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel as an act of "national solidarity," adding that vaccinations could be made mandatory by February.
Only those who have been vaccinated or recently recovered from COVID-19 will be allowed inside restaurants, cinemas, leisure facilities and many shops.
The ongoing fourth wave of the pandemic in Germany has been the most severe, and there is also growing concern about the spread of the Omicron variant.
Merkel said hospitals were stretched to the point of patients having to be moved to different regions for treatment. "The fourth wave must be broken and this has not yet been achieved," said Merkel.
"Given the situation, I think it is appropriate to adopt compulsory vaccination," she said, noting that such a policy would have to be approved by parliament.
Olaf Scholz, who is to take over as chancellor, supports the move, while Berlin Mayor Michael Mller said most COVID-19 cases are among those who are unvaccinated.
The new measures were not described as a lockdown of the unvaccinated, but outgoing Health Minister Jens Spahn earlier called the new regulations a "quasi-lockdown."
In Germany, only 68.7 percent of the population has been vaccinated, a relatively low rate for Western Europe.
The EU's European Center for Disease Prevention and Control said 79 cases of the new Omicron variant have been reported in 15 European countries, with most being linked to travel to African countries, as well as connecting flights between Africa and Europe.
Get a daily dose of Oklahoma Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Oklahoma Star.
More InformationSOLOMON ISLANDS: In a move that opponents said is aimed at controlling and censoring the media, the government of the ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: In July, a Florida man was killed by exploding Takata airbag inflators, possibly becoming the 20th death in ...
Israel has launched an unprovoked war against the Palestinian resistance group Islamic Jihad. The Israeli army assassinated a high-ranking commander ...
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistan categorically denied on Thursday that a U.S. drone strike in Kabul that killed al-Qaeda chief Ayman ...
EAST NUSA TENGGARA, Indonesia: Hundreds of Indonesian tourism workers went on strike this week to protest a sharp rise in ...
NASSAU, Bahamas: A team of explorers have announced that they have uncovered a treasure, including coins, gemstones and priceless jewels, ...
SYDNEY, NSW, Australia - Stocks in Asia were mixed on Monday, but gains and losses were modest.There is concern the ...
CANBERRA, Australia: Australia's new government has announced plans to ban the development of a coal mine located near the Great ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: The U.S. Transportation Department said it could require airlines to offer passengers a refund if their flight schedules ...
LONDON, England: In 2023, America's Major League Baseball is set to return to London for the first time since 2019, ...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: A New York Federal Reserve report released this week indicated that Americans are struggling to ...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: The Department of Financial Services of New York State said it has fined the crypto ...