Almost all stores will be closed during the Easter period, from April 1 to April 5, and no more than five people over the age of 14 from two families can gather. Supermarkets would be allowed to open for just one day on Saturday, April 3.
The country’s general blockade measures will also be extended until April 18, said Merkel. Germans have lived under varying levels of restrictions since mid-December.
The country’s public health authority reported on Tuesday 7,485 new infections and 250 deaths in a 24-hour period. The number of daily infections is 2,000 cases higher than a week ago. More than 108 people in every 100,000 are now infected every week.
“We know that the current emergency measures will not be enough to halt exponential growth,” said Merkel after lengthy negotiations on Monday night in Berlin.
“That’s why April 1st, Holy Thursday and April 3rd will be declared rest days this year, with increased contact restrictions and a ban on meetings from April 1st to 5th. That means extended closings during Easter. For five days in a row, the principle is: let’s stay home, “said Merkel.
Germany has recorded more than 74,000 deaths from Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic, and Merkel said the country is experiencing a third wave of infections.
Its vaccine program, like many in the European Union, has been hampered by a shortage of supplies. The UK and the EU are involved in a new fight over doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, with the bloc’s leader, Ursula von der Leyen, allegedly threatening to prevent a batch of vaccines from a factory in the Netherlands from being exported to the United Kingdom.