Germany: Authorities extend ban on large gatherings until December 31 /update 40

Event

German authorities announced on Thursday, August 27, that the ban on large gatherings has been extended until December 31, in an effort to further curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Chancellor Angela Merkel announced the decision following a meeting with state governors on Thursday, following a recent daily rise in COVID-19 cases in the country. The ban was originally scheduled to end on October 31.

Separately, German authorities have issued travel warnings for Paris and the Cote d'Azur region on August 24, due to a recent surge of COVID-19 cases The foreign ministry in Germany announced that the warning against non-essential tourist trips to the Ile-de-France region, which comprises Paris, and to the Provence-Alpes-Cote-d'Azur, which also includes the southern cities of Nice and Marseille.

As of Friday, August 28, health authorities have confirmed a total of 240,571 COVID-19 cases with 9293 associated deaths in Germany. Further spread of the virus is expected in the near term.

Context

The first case of COVID-19 was reported on December 31 and the source of the outbreak has been linked to a wet market in Wuhan (Hubei province, China). Since then, human-to-human transmission of the virus has been confirmed.

Cases of the virus have been confirmed in numerous countries and territories worldwide. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the global outbreak a pandemic. Virus-screening and quarantining measures are being implemented at airports worldwide, as well as extensive travel restrictions.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Some patients may experience other symptoms such as body pains, nasal congestion, headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell or a rash on skin or discoloration of fingers or toes. These symptoms (in most cases mild) appear gradually. Generally, most patients (around 80 percent) recover from the disease without being hospitalized.

Advice

Measures adopted by local authorities evolve quickly and are usually effective immediately. Depending on the evolution of the outbreak in other countries, authorities are likely to modify, at very short notice, the list of countries whose travelers are subject to border control measures or entry restrictions upon their arrival to the territory in question. It is advised to postpone nonessential travel due to the risk that travelers may be refused entry or be subject to quarantine upon their arrival or during their stay.

To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, travelers are advised to abide by the following measures: