The Chancellor of Germany – Angela Merkel and President of France – Emmanuel Macron today, i.e., Thursday, October 29, 2020 announced Lockdown 2 or partial lockdown in their respective countries, after Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases surged across Europe.
Germany has a total of 4,86,972 cases and there have been 10,259 casualties. France has 12,40,862 cases and there have been 35,493 casualties.
The German lockdown comes into force from November 2, 2020 and will last till November 30, 2020. During this period, bars, restaurants and theatres will remain closed. While schools will remain open, shops will be open for limited time. Germany has also set aside 10 billion euros (U.S. $ 12 billion) to partly reimburse companies for lost sales.
Speaking on the lockdown, Merkel said, “We need to take action now. Our health system can still cope with this challenge today, but at this speed of infections it will reach the limits of its capacity within weeks.”
Der November wird ein Monat der Wahrheit. Die steigenden Infektionszahlen zwingen uns, jetzt hart gegenzusteuern, um die zweite #Corona-Welle zu brechen – mit gezielten und befristeten Maßnahmen, inklusive wirksamer Finanzhilfen für die betroffenen Branchen. #FlattenTheCurve
— Olaf Scholz (@OlafScholz) October 28, 2020
The Federal Minster of Finance in Germany – Olaf Scholz tweeted (Translated from German), “November will be a month of truth. The increasing numbers of infections are forcing us to take tough countermeasures in order to break the second wave. # FlattenTheCurve” (Original tweet in German: Der November wird ein Monat der Wahrheit. Die steigenden Infektionszahlen zwingen uns, jetzt hart gegenzusteuern, um die zweite #Corona-Welle zu brechen – mit gezielten und befristeten Maßnahmen, inklusive wirksamer Finanzhilfen für die betroffenen Branchen. #FlattenTheCurve”)
In France, the new measures come into effect from tomorrow, i.e., Friday, October 30, 2020. Under the new measures, people are not allowed to go outside except for buying essential goods, seeking medical attention, or exercise, for a maximum of 1 hour a day. They will only go to work if their employers deem it impossible for them to work from home.
However, schools will remain open. People moving out of home will have to carry a document stating the reason for going out. Non-essential businesses, restaurants and bars will be closed. These restrictions will remain in place till December 1, 2020. Jean-François Delfraissy, who leads the scientific council that advises the French Government, has said that France could have about 100,000 new cases per day.
Addressing the people of France, Macron said in a televised speech, “The virus is circulating at a speed that not even the most pessimistic forecasts had anticipated. Like all our neighbours, we are submerged by the sudden acceleration of the virus.”
He further added, “We are all in the same position: overrun by a second wave which we know will be harder, more deadly than the first. I have decided that we need to return to the lockdown which stopped the virus.”
Après avoir consulté les scientifiques, dialogué avec les forces politiques, économiques et sociales, après avoir échangé avec nos partenaires européens, et pesé le pour et le contre, j’ai décidé qu’il fallait retrouver à partir de vendredi le confinement qui a stoppé le virus.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) October 28, 2020
Macron also posted on twitter (Translated from French),” After consulting the scientists, dialoguing with the political, economic and social forces, after having exchanged with our European partners, and weighing the pros and cons, I decided that it was necessary to find from Friday the confinement which stopped the virus.” (Original tweet in French: Après avoir consulté les scientifiques, dialogué avec les forces politiques, économiques et sociales, après avoir échangé avec nos partenaires européens, et pesé le pour et le contre, j’ai décidé qu’il fallait retrouver à partir de vendredi le confinement qui a stoppé le virus.)
As per the latest figures from the World Health Organization (WHO), Europe has more than 1.3 million new cases in the past 7 days, with over 11,700 casualties, a rise of 37% over the previous week. WHO has also criticised the European nations for not doing enough to contain the pandemic.
