COVID-19

Because of the persistently high coronavirus infection rates in the country, Germany’s state and federal governments resolved on Tuesday to extend the lockdown rules in the country. In addition to the extension of the shutdown, the latest resolution also contains an expansion of the containment measures. Accordingly, the current lockdown regulations, which have been in effect since 16 December and …

Scientists at the University of Birmingham said on Tuesday that they had developed a new COVID-19 test capable of delivering results in less than five minutes. According to the university, the new test simplifies the testing method to a single step and uses an alternative amplification method called Exponential Amplification Reaction (EXPAR). The new test can reduce testing time from …

Yes, most coronavirus infections are mild – nevertheless, or precisely because of this, the coronavirus is so difficult to contain. Adopting an unusual communication method on such a sensitive subject, German virologist Melanie Brinkmann takes to social media to explain what makes the virus so dangerous. There have been claims, especially by conspiracy theorists, that the new coronavirus (Sars-CoV-2) is …

The number of deaths caused by the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection in Germany has been rising for weeks, exceeding the 30,000 mark after the Christmas holidays. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany’s centre for disease control and prevention, announced on Monday morning that altogether 30,126 persons had died in Germany of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus infection, since …

The European Commission, on Monday (21 December), authorised the use of the Covid-19 vaccine jointly developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, paving the way for member states to start vaccination programmes within the next few days. “We have granted conditional market authorisation to the vaccine produced by BioNTech and Pfizer,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement, …

Following the detection of a new coronavirus strain, found to have a higher transmission rate in England, at least 27 countries have banned flights and travellers from the United Kingdom. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had on Saturday broken the news that London and Southeast England would go into restrictions Sunday. “It is with a very heavy heart, I must …

COVID-19 cases in the African region have risen steadily over the past two months, underscoring the need for reinforced public health measures to avert a surge in infections, particularly as people gather or travel for end-of-year celebrations. Since mid-October, an average of 46,000 cases per week have been recorded in the 47 countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) African …

In view of the persistently high coronavirus infection figures, Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Premiers of the 16 federal states agreed on new tough lockdown measures at an emergency meeting on Sunday. The imposition of stricter restriction rules, which will apply from 16 December until 10 January, is Germany’s latest desperate move to prevent infection rates from spinning out of …

Although the exponential rise in new infections has been halted since the partial lockdown began in early November, the daily cases are still far too high. The partial lockdown has been as a result only a partial success, Chancellor Angela Merkel said in Berlin on Wednesday. The November measures could therefore not be relaxed yet, she added, while speaking to …

As a second wave of coronavirus infections grips Europe, with several countries reporting high levels of daily new infections and deaths, a new vaccine is fuelling hope for an imminent victory over the global pandemic. German pharmaceutical firm BioNTech and its US partner Pfizer announced on Monday the result of tests carried out on a vaccine they were jointly developing. …

New quarantine rules for people entering Germany from risk areas enters into force on 8 November. Up to now, anyone returning to Germany from a risk area has been subject to compulsory testing and quarantine. The new regulation provides for a reduction of the quarantine period from 14 to 10 days. What are the new rules? Anyone who has been …

Coronavirus continues to spread rapidly in Germany. The number of registered new infections has reached a new record level of 21,506 cases within one day on Thursday. It was the highest single-day rise since the pandemic began, according to the country’s centre for disease prevention, Robert-Koch-Institute (RKI), in its report on Friday morning . Thursday’s caseload was an increase by …

The hairdresser stays open, restaurants have to close: strict restrictions in everyday life apply nationwide from Monday until the end of November as part of new wide-ranging measures to fight Covid-19 by significantly reducing person-to-person contacts in Germany. The corona containment measures at a glance. Who can still meet now? In principle, the Federal Government and the Länder have decided …

To contain the corona pandemic, the Federal Government and the States (Länder) have decided on a nationwide partial lockdown in Germany. It will apply from Monday, 2 November, until the end of the month, according to a resolution of a virtual meeting between Chancellor Angela Merkel and the state premiers on Wednesday. The so-called nationwide “lockdown light” is a less …

The federal state of Berlin is offering financial support to religious communities suffering from the impact of the corona crisis. Many churches and mosques are in financial distress due to pandemic-related restrictions and the resulting drop in donations they receive from members. Small religious communities engaged in social and integration issues could apply for funding for their rent, incidental rental …

The Minister of State for Integration, Annette Widmann-Mauz, has said that the coronavirus pandemic was hitting people with a migration background and refugees particularly hard. They often work in sectors that are particularly affected by the economic consequences of the pandemic, the Ms Widmann-Mauz said at the 12th Integration Conference, which took place on Monday and that focused on the …

As the number of new coronavirus cases spikes in Germany, the federal government has reached out to migrant organisations in the country to seek their support for its containment efforts. On Thursday, Chancellor Angela Merkel, Minister of State for Integration, Annette Widmann-Mauz, and Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn parleyed with representatives of migrant organisations and religious communities at a video …

The coronavirus is spreading rapidly in Germany. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the country’s centre for public disease control and prevention, reported a new record of 7,334 new infections within one day on Friday (16 October). A day earlier, 6,638 new cases were registered in the country, the highest figure since the beginning of the pandemic. In view of rising …

Retail shops have been subject to increased hygiene and social distancing rules since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in March. These range from obligation to wear face mask, plexiglas panels at the checkout and distance markings on the floor to entrance restrictions. How do we protect ourselves when we go shopping is one of the questions we’re confronted with? …

To counter misinformation circulating in the country, the Federal Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration – Die Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Migration, Flüchtlinge und Integration – runs an online portal to provide information about the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in English, French, Turkish and other languages. “By obeying certain rules, every individual can help protect the elderly and people with pre-existing …