Brandenburg tightens corona rules: 2G in bars and cinemas
– A sign with a reference to the 2G regulation is placed in front of a cafe in Potsdam. Photo: Soeren Stache / dpa-Zentralbild / dpa © dpa-infocom GmbH
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The number of new corona infections has risen to a record in Brandenburg. The red-black-green coalition is also adopting new rules – with drastic restrictions for those who have not been vaccinated. Some of them differ from those in Berlin.
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Due to the rapidly increasing number of corona infections, Brandenburg is introducing the 2G rule in restaurants, hotels, cinemas and theaters. From next Monday onwards, Brandenburgers only vaccinated, recovered or were allowed access when they were under twelve years of age. The cabinet decided on Thursday in Potsdam. There is an exception for under 18-year-olds with a negative test and those who cannot be vaccinated. The 2G rule also applies in discos, clubs and festivals.
In elementary schools, the mask requirement is being reintroduced – from the first grade onwards. It is also being expanded to include after-school care centers for children aged six and over. Three instead of two tests per week are compulsory for schoolchildren. More tests are also required in old people’s and nursing homes and hospitals – for example, for guests who have been vaccinated and recovered. The regulation is initially valid until December 5th.
Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD) considers the new rules to be urgently needed. “We are in a (…) real emergency situation,” he said. The new regulation brings for many people – especially for those who have not been vaccinated – restrictions on their fundamental freedoms. The choice is whether or not to go into at least a partial lockdown for everyone.
Berlin also announced stricter rules on Wednesday. Unlike there, the 3G rule with the possibility of a negative Covid-19 test also applies to barber shops in Brandenburg. In Berlin, on the other hand, hotels are exempt from 2G.
The health authorities in Brandenburg are now registering more new infections than ever since the beginning of the pandemic. According to the Robert Koch Institute, 1779 infections were reported within one day. In the past seven days, according to official data in Brandenburg, 285.7 people per 100,000 inhabitants were infected with the virus. The seven-day incidence in Brandenburg is thus significantly higher than the national average (249.1).
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