COVID 19: German GOV'T APPROVES OFFICIAL MASK FOR CITIZENS

COVID 19: Germany GOV'T forces Citizens to wear one OFFICIAL mask

Leaders of Germany's 16 states and the federal government have agreed and extended shutdown measures until at least March 7. However, schools and hairdressers can open before that.

The agreement occured on Wednesday to extend the nationwide shutdown until March 7, beyond the previous February 14 deadline. Though overall infection numbers in the country are declining, concern is rising about new variants.

The current shutdown began in November and was extended and toughened before Christmas, with the number of COVID-19 patients threatening to overwhelm hospitals. A leaked draft statement on Tuesday stated that Germany had made progress in curbing the rate of infection.

Following Wednesday's summit, SILVER FM Spoke to a Ghanaian Based in Germany who doubles as the Founder and President of "WE'RE FOR HON. KEN WORLDWIDE", ABREFA GYAN to tell us how the situation is and if authorities have decided to relax or tighten their resteictions.

ABREFA GYAN disclosed that, the Federal Government and all the 16 States have agreed that the relaxation of restrictions would be discussed when the seven-day case index drops below 35 cases per 100,000.

"We will talk about that in March. Everyone should remain cautious: We don't want to be careless," MR. ABREFA quoted Kretschmer in an interview on OMANBAPA MORNING SHOW ON SILVER FM. According to the Leader of WE'RE FOR KEN WORLDWIDE, a decision paper released after the meeting said Chancellor Angela Merkel and the state leaders would meet again on March 3 to assess the situation.

Other measures that were discussed included:

Hairdressers will be allowed to open again starting on March 1 if they follow rigorous hygiene conditions.

Schools and daycare centers should be "the first to gradually reopen," but it is for individual states to decide how and when.

Abrefa revealed on the show that all nonessential shops and services remain closed.

People in shops and on public transport are required to wear medical masks, which include surgical masks as well as FFP2 filter mask. Employers must, wherever possible, allow employees to work from home until March 15.

Contact at private meetings is restricted to just one other person not living in the same household. Schools are largely closed and students are taught through distance learning.

On the wearing of the mask, He stated that residents are not allowed to use any mask of their choice but wear government's distributed masks only.

"We are not allowed to wear any mask of our choice.The government has designed mask to be worn by all citizens. If you wear any different one, you've gone contrary to the law and you will be arrested accordingly", Mr. Abrefa Gyan said.

Despite decline, variants pose concern

Germany's national disease control center last week said that the more contagious variant of the virus first observed in Britain has now been seen in most of Germany's 16 states. Another variant from South Africa has also been reported several times in Germany.

"Considering the virus mutations, the steps to lift the restrictions must come carefully and gradually in order to avoid risking the successful curbing of infections," the draft document had stated.