As the global cases of the coronavirus spike and many countries struggle to decide on whether to cancel Christmas and New Year celebrations, Germany has decided the holiday spirit must be contained.
On Sunday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced the country would be tightening its lockdown measures, starting this week until January 10.
That includes no singing during religious services to stop the virus from spraying. And... no outdoor alcohol sales, putting a stop to a traditional seasonal pastime of drinking “Gluehwein” or mulled wine under the stars. New Year's Eve outdoor toasts are out, too.
Other crackdowns include closing schools nationwide as well as shutting non-essential businesses. Restaurants will be limited to take-out services.
This comes after Germany recorded more than 20,000 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday. That's 2,000 more cases than last Sunday's daily total. Markus Soeder – the governor of the German state of Bavaria said, "We need to be careful that Germany doesn't become the problem child of Europe."
Additional restrictions include limiting gatherings to five or fewer people and banning the sale of fireworks, which are typically used for New Year's celebrations.
Contains footage from CNN.
