Protests As Germany Scrambles To Pass National Virus Law

Berlin, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Apr, 2021 ) :Thousands of protesters massed outside German parliament on Wednesday as lawmakers prepared to vote on a law amendment giving Angela Merkel's government power to impose tougher measures to curb the coronavirus pandemic.

With Germany buckling under a third wave, the amended law, including school closures and night-time curfews, aims to end a political tug-of-war between the Federal government and the 16 regional states over virus restrictions.

Several thousand protesters gathered in central Berlin on Wednesday morning, waving flags and placards, with many not wearing masks. About 2,000 police officers had been deployed in anticipation of the protests.

Dubbed the "emergency brake", the law prescribes tough measures including sweeping shutdowns and overnight curfews in regions with incidence rates of more than 100 new infections per 100,000 people over the last seven days.

It would also force schools to revert to virtual teaching in states where the incidence rate exceeds 165 -- a tighter requirement than the 200 contained in an earlier draft of the law.

Only one state had an incidence rate below 100 on Wednesday, while seven topped 165 -- including the two most populous of Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia.