German lawmakers voted Friday to abolish most of the country's coronavirus pandemic restrictions despite a surge in infections, with almost 300,000 new daily cases reported.
The Bundestag passed an amendment to the pandemic rules in a 364-277 vote with two abstentions. The upper house of parliament, made up of Germany's 16 states, approved the measure later Friday.
The changes mean that the requirement to wear face masks can be dropped for most public settings beginning Sunday, though all German states have said they will keep them in place for up to two weeks. Masks may still be required on public transport beyond then.Visitors to nursing homes will also continue to need negative COVID-19 tests, but these will not be required any longer in other walks of life.
States can still impose new restrictions to curb outbreaks in virus "hot spots," but governors have complained that this measure is unworkable, given the nationwide increase in cases. The country's disease control agency reported 297,845 newly confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, and 226 COVID-related deaths."We can't continue to put the entire country under a shield in order to protect a small group of people who are unwilling to get vaccinated," he said. "The balance is being shifted."
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Friday Finds: An old-fashioned, stovetop popcorn popperA gem or two from the week that was
Read more »
Yukon to lift state of emergency, mask mandate and COVID-19 vaccine proof FridayYukon will be rescinding most of its COVID-19 public health measures Friday on the advice of medical professionals, said Premier Sandy Silver.
Read more »
Feel-good Friday: Global BC’s highlights of the week | Globalnews.caEach week at Global BC, we’re going to highlight our stories to bring a bright spot to your Friday and into the weekend. We've selected five stories here.
Read more »
COVID-19 hospitalizations in Manitoba down, ICU cases and deaths increase on FridayThough the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations continues to drop in Manitoba, the province saw a small increase in the number of patients in ICU with the virus.
Read more »
N.S.'s weekly COVID-19 report shows continued virus activity; 38 in hospital due to virus FridayNova Scotia's weekly COVID-19 update shows continued virus activity and community spread in the province.
Read more »