Germany to close shops and schools in Covid Christmas lockdown
https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2020/d...-covid-lockdown
Angela Merkel says urgent action is needed as daily cases and deaths hit record highs


Philip Oltermann in Berlin
@philipoltermann
Sun 13 Dec 2020 11.27 EST

Germany will close most shops from Wednesday until 10 January and ban the sale of fireworks for New Year’s Eve, after Angela Merkel and state leaders agreed to impose a national lockdown in order to regain control of rising coronavirus infection rates before a “very difficult Christmas”.

Non-essential shops, excluding food retailers, pharmacies and banks but including hairdressing salons and beauty parlours, will have to close their doors from 16 December.

Schools and nurseries will also be required to offer only emergency care for essential workers for the last three days before the start of the scheduled Christmas holidays, with parents asked to look after their children at home “whenever possible”.

Under the terms of the national lockdown, which Merkel and the leaders of Germany’s 16 federal states agreed in under an hour in an emergency summit on Sunday morning, employers are urged to either release workers for early holidays or allow for more generous remote working arrangements.-- excerpt, rest at link above --

Because a virus with a 99.7% survivability rate is a national emergency? But, only until January 10th? When Christmas is over? What's so scary about Christmas?

Netherlands locking down
December 15, 2020 / 10:32 AM / CBS/AP

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/europe-coronavirus-covid-restrictions-lockdown-plans-uk-netherlands-poland-germany/

Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced this week that the Netherlands would be put under a strict lockdown from 15 December to 19 January. All non-essential stores, theaters, salons and barber shops and gyms would be shuttered along with schools from Wednesday, according to BBC News.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte cleans his hands upon his arrival to meet with an imam in the Al Islam mosque in The Hague, April 23, 2020, a few hours before the start of the Ramadan, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN/ANP/AFP/Getty

Interesting photo, Mr. Ed.

Denmark Goes Into Nationwide Lockdown over Christmas
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/12...ver-christmas/#
Breitbart London 17 Dec 202044


COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Denmark is shutting down nationwide, with shopping malls and department stores ordered to close as of Wednesday and small shops – except for food stores and pharmacies – told to shut as of Dec. 25.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the restrictions will apply until Jan. 3. Hairdressers and beauty shops will close as of Dec. 21.

Frederiksen said she was “deeply concerned about how it will go in the coming winter months,” adding that Denmark’s “health care system is under pressure.”

“An epidemic that is running out of control will have major consequences-- excerpt, rest at link above --