Deutsche Welle (English edition)
COVID city limits: Berlin to restrict how far you can travel
The German capital is set to join other parts of the country in implementing a 15-kilometer travel restriction for residents. The measure is a response to the high rate of coronavirus infections.
Berlin already has two rings around it: one a highway, the other a regional transit line. Starting Saturday it will likely get a third: a "corona ring." That is when residents will be prohibited from traveling 15 kilometers (9 miles) beyond Berlin's city limits, based on the pandemic incidence rate.
The decision follows similar measures across Germany. The federal and 16 state governments agreed to this as part of the latest round of tougher pandemic restrictions. In general, the 15-kilometer boundary gets triggered each time a district sees more than 200 new infections per 100,000 people within seven days.
In a special session on Tuesday, Berlin's government, the state Senate, decided that the rule would stay in place until the incidence rate keeps below 200 for seven consecutive days.
"The goal of everything we're doing is to reduce travel and contact," Finance Senator Matthias Kollatz told reporters after the session. "The 15-kilometer rule, when the rate hits 200, aims to achieve a further reduction."
Berlin has exceeded the 200 figure before. And on Wednesday this week, it was 199.9, with higher tallies in many parts of the city. Berlin's three "corona traffic lights" — one each for the incidence rate, the reproduction number, and ICU bed occupancy — all hit red for the first time on Monday.
15 kilometers in practice
The new rule, should it come into effect, might mean very little for most people in Berlin.
Germany's stricter shutdown, which was extended from January 10 until at least the end of the month, already requires a valid reason to leave home, although that is lightly enforced. People can still move about within Berlin, which can stretch almost 30 kilometers in any direction.
Nationwide, people are urged to work from home whenever possible, but those who cannot and commute from beyond the 15-kilometer radius would still be able to do so. Medical emergencies, appearing in court or at other official appointments and reaching rented or owned property are also exceptions.
Other kinds of travel would be off the table, however, whenever the 15-kilometer radius applies.
"My parents live in Bonn," Kollatz said at the news conference. "It means I would not be able to visit them."
Kollatz acknowledged that there are still many details to work out, especially in coordination with the state of Brandenburg, which encircles Berlin and already implemented the rule for its own affected districts on Saturday. The two states are closely linked, with commuters and day-trippers regularly going back and forth. Kollatz said Berlin aims to "mirror" the existing regulations in Brandenburg.
Police there have done spot checks to enforce the measure, and a police spokesman told DW that authorities will extend enforcement to Berlin residents in Brandenburg, should the restriction take effect.
"Our officers will decide what measures are necessary on a case-by-case basis. That means, where appropriate, collecting personal data and informing the relevant authorities for issuing fines, and sending those people back," Mario Heinemann said in a written statement.
Critics: What's the point?
Opposition parties were quick to pounce on the new restriction. Sebastian Czaja, who leads the Free Democrat liberal party in Berlin's state parliament, called it "unenforceable" and ineffective against reducing personal contact.
The political criticism has at least some basis in scientific reasoning. Ulrike Protzer, who directs the Institute of Virology in Munich, told the German Press Agency on Monday that a blanket "15-kilometer boundary has no immediate advantage" in limiting infections. She called for more targeted, specific travel restrictions.
In discussions earlier this month about extending the shutdown, German media reported that many state leaders rejected a five-kilometer-radius proposal from a researcher for the Max Planck Institute. Other countries, such as France, are keeping people within one kilometer of their homes.
Just how much to restrict public life to keep the pandemic under control has been a constant tug-of-war between Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has favored tougher measures, and her state counterparts.
"My take on it is that they did not want to explicitly state to not leave the house except for very limited reasons," Tobias Kurth, the director of the Public Health Institute at Charite Hospital, told DW. "That may still come depending on developments in the next days and weeks."
because these preconditions increase the risk of a severe course of COVID-19.
Can children be vaccinated?
The current coronavirus vaccines are approved only for adolescents 16 years and older, and adults. Germany's federal health body, the Robert Koch Institute, says that studies on COVID-19 vaccination in children have been planned and, in some cases, are already underway. Currently, however, there is no vaccination recommendation for children.
Any special concerns for pregnant women?
Experts believe it's unlikely that the mRNA vaccines pose a risk to pregnant women and unborn children, yet animal studies on reproductive toxicity are still ongoing. For the moment, it remains a choice that should be discussed with a physician: on the one hand, pregnancy is considered a risk factor for severe COVID-19 courses, which can also cause severe harm to the child. On the other hand, expectant mothers should also assess the individual risk of infection — how much do they socialize, and how likely are they to be infected by COVID-19?
The STIKO currently does not generally recommend vaccination against COVID-19 for pregnant women, but does not rule it out either. Pregnant women with preexisting conditions and a high risk of COVID-19 can be offered vaccination after a thorough risk-benefit assessment and after doctors give their patients sufficient information, says the STIKO. What side effects should I expect? After vaccination, most vaccinated individuals experience mild to moderate side effects. These may include temporary swelling at the injection site, headache and aching limbs, chills, fatigue and also fever. The side effects usually occur in the first three days after vaccination and subside after about two days.
In cases of more severe complications the vaccinated person must contact the center or doctor who administered the vaccine, who will then report the case to regulatory authorities.
Do the vaccines also work against mutated virus variants?
It's likely that both vaccines are also effective against the recently emerged mutant virus variant. BioNTech's Sahin said his company has already tested its vaccine on 20 virus mutations in a laboratory setting, including the latest variant that has appeared in southern England.
How long should I wait before getting vaccinated against another diseases?
Other vaccinations, such as against influenza or mumps, measles and rubella, or against tetanus should be given 14 days apart before or after a coronavirus vaccination. This interval is currently considered a purely precautionary measure.
Although physicians assume that simultaneous vaccinations do not pose a problem, no data is available yet showing that simultaneous vaccination with other vaccines is harmless. So it's better to be safe than sorry.
Is the vaccination also halal?
That, of course, will ultimately have to be answered by religious scholars. But the chances are good: spokespeople for the three major manufacturers, Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca , have confirmed to the Times of India that their vaccines do not contain any pig products.
Do I still need to wash my hands and wear a face mask after vaccination?
While both vaccines provide up to 95% protection against coronavirus after two doses, even vaccinated people should continue to follow general hygiene rules, maintain physical distancing and continue to wear face masks.
There are still no studies on how long the vaccination protection lasts, and whether the vaccine can effectively contain the spread of the virus in the general population.