Germany Launches 'Hard-Lockdown'

Public life in Germany will be drastically shut down beginning December 16, 2020, according to N-TV reporting. Most of the retail trade will close until January 11, 2021. Schools and daycare centers are also closing. And there are strict requirements for Christmas meetings, such as congregational singing is prohibited.

Furthermore, private get-togethers with friends, relatives, and acquaintances are still limited to one's own household and to another household, in any case to a maximum of (5) people. Children up to 14 years of age are exempt from this mandate.

"We are forced to act and are acting now," stated Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel at a press conference on December 13, 2020. A softer COVID-19 pandemic lockdown has been in place in Germany since early November.

As of December 13, 2020, Germany's 83 million residents have reported about 21,900 fatalities related to COVID-19.