The german government wants to break the second wave of the Covid pandemy with what they call a lockdown light. So far for the month of November. But the trust in chancellor Merkels capabilities in handling the crisis is on the wane.
Did you ever hear of a lockdown light? What sounds like a piece of low-fat food in a german supermarket means a partial lockdown, imposed by the german government. The second wave of covid has hit Germany with rising numbers of infected and ill people. The federal government and the prime ministers of the states decided Schools and kindergartens are open, so are shops and malls. But bars, restaurants, cinemas and theaters are closed. Families are ollowed to meet in groups of five, but only, if they live in two different households. People should avoid other personal contacts apart of family and work. While the first lockdown in spring 2020 received broad approval from the people, this time Merkel and her cabinet get a lot of critic.
German comedian Dieter Nuhr names some points in his Youtube channel Nuhr wöchentlich (Nuhr weekly): So the lockdown inhibits him from playing tennis. In a hall of 40 by 50 meters with players keeping a distance of 25 meters from each other. You have to jump over the net, grab your opponent and stick your tongue into his mouth to infact him with Corona, something which seldomly happened in his tennis club, says Nuhr.
The rules of the lockdown especially concern hospitality and cultural businesses. Theaters and restaurants invested in larger distances between seats or tables over the last months. They upgraded their ventilations systems with particle filters only to continue their businesses under corona. But after all that expenses they have to close again. Another point of criticism concerns the highly popular musical schools. If schools stay open, why do musical schools have to close?
The time limit of the lockdown is also questionable. Chancellor Merkel says, we all have to stay home during november to celebrate christmas with our friends and families. But experts take that into doubt. Does anybody truely believe in a “normal” christmas if we stay home for november? With all these doubts the trust in the capabilities of Merkel as a crisis manager is in decline. And this imposes a crisis on its own. German health authorities recorded the highest infection rates of covid 19 after private celebrations. The health authorities recorded the highest infection rates after private celebrations, and the government needs the compliance and trust of the people to stop this.
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