Today's Berlin corona news in 60 seconds
+++ Lockdown extended? +++ How to reopen +++ Cops on the sledding hills +++ Stats +++
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Berlin-Every weekday at 11am come to the Berliner Zeitung English Edition for the corona/Covid-19 news at a glance.
🚥 The latest corona stats for Berlin (tallied Tuesday, 9 February)
New cases in one day: +302 (284 Monday)
Total number of corona deaths: 2,506 (+21 over Monday)
🟢 R number: 0.82 (0.93 Monday)
🔴 New infections per week: 64.9/100,000 inhabitants (71.1 Monday)
🟡 Share of Berlin ICUs occupied by Covid-19 patients: 24.8 per cent (25.1 per cent Monday)
Source: Berlin's coronavirus status page
The lowdown...
Lockdown until March 14
Chancellor Merkel will ask to extend the lockdown until 14 March when she and the heads of Germany's 16 states meet in a video conference later Wednesday, according to a draft proposal seen by the Berliner Zeitung. Hair salons will be allowed to open 1 March but each state will have to decide when or if to open schools and daycares but the government is pledging to better support testing and online schooling.
The politicians will also discuss two options to reopen the economy, according to the draft. Either they will meet again 10 March to discuss what to do next or agree on set opening measures once the national incidence (new cases per 100,000 people per week) drops below 35 – the previous yardstick had been 50.
The Berlin plan for re-opening
Berlin politicians have already devised a system for reopening the economy, though it's unclear if it will be adopted during today's meeting – our mayor Michael Müller is the current head of committee of state heads. The plan, reported by Tagesspiegel, would allow hair salons and retail to open with pre-lockdown conditions when the incidence hits 35. Bars and restaurants as well with limited hours and capacity. Once the incidence hits 20, museums and hotels can also reopen, also with limited capacity. Under 10 and fitness studios and team sports can resume and bars and restaurants would have no set closing hours.
Cops checking sledders
Gloves, hat, scarf and a mask – cops are randomly monitoring activity at the city's most popular sledding hills to remind sledders and observers that masks must be worn any time social distancing is not possible – like while waiting your turn. "For example, on Sunday 300 people were very close together at the top of the hill at Insulaner," a police spokesperson said. They've sent kids home who didn't have masks.
In case you missed it...
Berlin's foreigners are a diverse bunch but they all have one thing in common: They all despise the Ausländerbehörde. Has its rebranding into the Landesamt für Einwanderung helped?
That's all for now, folks. Stay safe!
Yours,
The Berliner Zeitung English team
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