Berlin suspends lockdown relaxation as infection situation worsens

Berlin has become the first federal state in Germany to announce that it will not be easing any more lockdown measures for the time being, after a recent and significant rise in cases of COVID-19. 

Current relaxations to stay in place, but nothing further planned

The mayor of Berlin, Michael Müller announced on Tuesday that the “gruelling” situation left him with no other choice but to pause further reopening steps until the infection situation in the capital has stabilised. The Senate decided to keep in place the relaxations that have already taken place, but agreed that “we cannot trust ourselves to do anything else.” 

This means that no further reopenings are planned for either the gastronomy or retail trade. Specifically - restaurants and cafes will not be allowed to reopen outdoor dining areas, and theatres, concert halls, opera houses and cinemas will have to keep their doors closed. 

Students in grades 7 to 9 will also continue to learn at home until after the end of the Easter school holidays. On the other hand, grades 10 to 13 - who started school again on Wednesday - will continue to attend in alternating “shift classes”.

Seven-day incidence rate rising in Berlin

At the press conference that followed the Senate’s meeting on Tuesday, Müller assured everyone that he understood the decision would cause displeasure. “There are so many who are burdened,” he said, but insisted that he did not want to risk anything, and especially did not want to get into a yo-yo cycle of reopening and then having to reimpose restrictions. “We want to hold on to what we have made possible,” he said. 

The seven-day incidence rate (the number of new infections per 100.000 inhabitants within seven days) rose to 91,3 on Tuesday. Last week, it was still below 60. The R-rate has risen to 1,46, meaning that 100 infected people go on to infect another 146 people, on average. As health authorities have repeatedly stressed, the pandemic will only recede if this number remains below 1.