Small State Defies German Trend With Partial Reopening

Saarbruecken, Germany, April 6 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Apr, 2021 ) :Germans in the tiny border state of Saarland returned to cafes, cinemas and cultural venues on Tuesday, even as the rest of the country faces tighter coronavirus restrictions amid rising case numbers.

In a move criticised by Chancellor Angela Merkel, the region on the French and Luxembourg frontiers became the first of Germany's 16 states to loosen its lockdown, allowing those with an up-to-date negative test to return to day-to-day activities.

The controversial step comes as Germany struggles with a third wave of the pandemic, rising infection rates and a sluggish vaccination campaign.

In a recent interview, Merkel said it was "not the right time" for Saarland to ease measures.

Though it is still faring better than most other German regions, numbers have been rising in the small state, which borders the hard-hit French region of Moselle.

On Monday, Saarland recorded a rise in its seven-day incidence rate to 91.3 cases per 100,000 people.

Yet the regional government has defended its alternative model as a way of keeping control of infections with fewer restrictions on public life.

"More testing, more vigilance and more possibilities: that's our formula," said state premier Tobias Hans.

Concert halls, outdoor dining and gyms reopened Tuesday and gatherings of up to 10 people in public are now allowed.

Most of the new freedoms depend on a negative test result from the previous 24 hours, as well as being tied to mask use and contact tracing.

Test centres will step up operations, while restrictions could be tightened again if infection rates rise.

Yet the model is in stark contrast with the rest of the country.

Merkel and the 16 state leaders agreed last month to prolong existing measures deep into April, and could discuss further restrictions at their next round of talks next Monday.

Under Germany's Federal system, regional states have significant decision-making powers and can stray from the government line.

Yet most regions are currently looking to tighten rather than loosen their lockdowns.

In Berlin, new rules in force from Tuesday include further restrictions on private gatherings and an effective ban on home visits after 9pm.

Germany recorded almost 7,000 new infections nationwide and a seven-day incidence rate of 123 on Tuesday, though the Robert Koch Institute health agency warned that real number could be higher as not all local authorities reported figures over the four-day Easter weekend.