[ad_1]
BERLIN, April 22 (Reuters) – The German House of Lords passed a law on Thursday that gives the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel more powers in the fight against a third wave of the coronavirus.
The new law allows the national government to impose curfews between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., as well as restrict private gatherings, sports and store openings. Schools will close and return to online classes if virus incidence exceeds 165 cases per 100,000 population.
The law still requires the signature of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier before it can come into force. The changes will initially apply until June 30th.
Merkel drafted the law after some of the 16 federal states refused to impose tough measures despite rising cases.
Manuela Schwesig, Prime Minister of the northern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, said the change was not going far enough. “This law has a serious design flaw. This law will not reduce the number of infections,” she told ZDF.
Germany reported an increase from 29,518 coronavirus cases to 3.21 million on Thursday. About 80,893 people have died and doctors have warned that the intensive care units may have difficulty dealing with it if action is not taken.
The 7-day incidence rate increased slightly to 161.1 per 100,000.
Reporting by Alexander Ratz Writing by Caroline Copley Editing by Steve Orlofsky
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
[ad_2]
