'The situation in our country is serious,' said outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a press conference.
Germany has begun excluding citizens not vaccinated against COVID-19 from nonessential places across the country.made the announcement during a press conference on Thursday. Unvaccinated people will no longer be permitted to enter nonessential stores, cultural and recreational venues. This announcement also coincided with the update that German officials will begin considering a national vaccine mandate that the Chancellor is backing.Around 68.7 percent of Germany's population of 83.
These measures come as COVID-19 woes in the country continue. Germany has already recorded new cases attributed to the Omicron coronavirus variant, and hospitals are reporting intensive care bed shortages. These issues could be exacerbated by the ongoing government transition as current finance minister Olaf Scholz is preparing to replace Merkel as German Chancellor. Scholz expressed support for mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations during the press conference.
She said officials also agreed to require masks in schools, impose new limits on private meetings and aim for 30 million vaccinations by the end of the year—an effort that will be boosted by allowing dentists and pharmacists to administer the shots. If passed, it could take effect as early as February, Merkel said, adding that she would have voted in favor of the measure if she were still a member of parliament.Scholz favors letting lawmakers vote on the issue according to their personal conscience rather than party lines.
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