Germany’s federal and state governments agreed on stricter COVID-19 rules on Friday, as the country faces a new wave of Covid-19 cases driven by the omicron variant.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that people without booster shots will be required to present a negative test result to enter bars, cafes, and restaurants as part of the new rules.
“This is a strict measure. But it is a necessary one which will help us to control the infections better than we do now,” he said.
The chancellor called on everyone to get their booster jabs, stressing that it provides the best protection against omicron.
Experts say booster shots are necessary against omicron as immunity from the initial doses starts wearing off over time. A third dose is providing a high level of protection against the variant, according to preliminary lab studies.
The Robert Koch Institute, the country’s disease control agency, on Jan. 10 reported 25,255 new cases in the past 24 hours, 52 new deaths. The national 7-day incidence is 375.7 cases per 100,000 population. The 7-day incidence in federal states lies between 1,028 cases per 100,000 population in Bremen and 270.1 per 100,000 population in Saxony-Anhalt.
Since 26/12/2020, 153,899,268 vaccine doses have been administered in Germany.
Overall, 74.6% of the population in Germany has been vaccinated at least once.
71.9% have received a complete course of vaccination against COVID-19.
42.9% have received a booster vaccination.
