German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned on Thursday that several locations in the country, where hospitals are situated, were becoming dangerously overcrowded with COVID-19 patients.
Germany will restrict of public life for its people, allowing only those who have either been vaccinated or recovered from the infection.
She explained that the action was vital to combat an extremely concerning fourth wave of the pandemic that is overburdening the health care system.
‘Many of the current steps would not have been necessary if more people had been vaccinated. It’s not too late to get vaccinated now, either,’ Merkel said in a statement.
Access to public, cultural and sporting activities, as well as restaurants, will be limited to people who have been vaccinated or who have recovered, in areas where hospitalisation rates surpass a particular level.
Merkel said that the federal government would consider a request from regional governments for legislation that would allow them to mandate vaccinations for care and hospital staff.
According to the Bild newspaper, Saxony, the region that was impacted most by the fourth wave, was considering closing theatres, concert halls and soccer games. The immunisation rate in Germany’s eastern state is the lowest.
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