Today's corona news in 60 seconds
+++ Revenge for lawsuit? +++ Mask force +++ Müller warns of second lockdown +++ Battle of the doctors +++ the stats +++
Berlin-Every weekday at 11am come to the Berliner Zeitung English Edition for the latest corona/Covid-19 news at a glance.
🚥 First, the official corona stats for Berlin (tallied Thursday, 22 October)
🟢 R number: 1.02 (1.05 Wednesday)
🔴 New infections per week: 110.6 / 100,000 inhabitants (104.4 Wednesday)
🟢 Share of Berlin ICUs occupied by Covid-19 patients: 7.3 per cent (6.7 per cent Wednesday)
Total number of corona deaths: 245 (+ 2)
Source: Berlin's coronavirus status page
The lowdown...
Polizei pay regular visits to curfew-challengers
Several of the 11 bars and restaurants that won a legal challenge against Berlin's mandatory closing times for hospitality were visited by police late Tuesday and Wednesday. Although officers were reportedly friendly and just checked to insure the locations weren't selling alcohol beyond 11pm and were adhering to hygiene concepts, some wondered if it wasn't revenge. "I didn't have a single inspection during all of corona and now suddenly two within just a few days," says Norbert Finke, owner of a toilet-themed Charlottenburg bar that was one of the 11 plaintiffs.
Police mask force to patrol this weekend.
Andreas Geisel, Berlin's interior minister, and his federal counterpart Horst Seehofer agreed to put 1,000 police officers on Berlin streets on Saturday and Sunday to enforce the Hauptstadt's new mask rules on certain public streets and at markets. The mask force will include 500 local as well as 500 federal police officers.
Mayor says another lockdown may be necessary
Normally reserved Berlin Mayor Michael Müller warned in a national television appearance Thursday evening that he could no longer rule out a second lockdown. "We don't have much wiggle room left, there aren't many choices," he said. He said private parties are the biggest problem currently and cautioned that a second lockdown could again be lengthy.
Battle of the doctors
SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach has all but called for the resignation of Klaus Reinhardt, who heads the German medical association, after Reinhardt on national TV late Wednesday questioned the effectiveness of masks. Reinhardt has also said the pandemic is under control and no reason to panic.
In case you missed it...
Did you know that an American general played a key role in creating the adult Disneyland that is Berlin? Like so much in Berlin, it was part of a Cold War escalation. And corona put an end to it. At least temporarily. The whole story is here.
That's all for now folks. Stay safe!
Yours,
The Berliner Zeitung English team
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