Breaking News - Germany fears second peak as R Rate heads towards 2.

[RapidRainbow]

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I’m in Germany. DH has been back in the classroom for 8 weeks, all year groups in our state have been in school for the last 4 weeks, albeit part time in smaller class sizes. Almost everything is open, today we’ve been to a theme park, we’ve been to the cinema and we’ve eaten out at restaurants over the last couple of weeks. Masks are compulsory in most indoor settings and we still have the 1.5m distance rule and the meeting one household rule but otherwise things feel quite normal to me. I know other people who are still very cautious and not going out much even though we’ve had only 1 new case in the last month in my town (and no deaths). I think we’re seeing the benefits of the earlier lockdown, track and trace being in place throughout, plus good testing availability early on. Isolated outbreaks are inevitable as the rules are relaxed but i have confidence that the government is handling the crisis well.

Reports said that there has been a regional lockdown to prevent that outbreak taking hold.

That is what is giving the Germans their certainty that it is a containable issue. Not that sporadic clusters are not risky. The y are. What matters is his quickly you spot them and his firmly you deal with them.

Finding your town shuts down for a fortnight or so (on no notice) might be quite a common occurrence in coming months.

And I was idly wondering if the refrigeration in meat factories might be a factor worth further investigation. Because the cooler winter season might be rather more challenging than a hot dry summer

One of the lockdowns is in my quarter of the town - it's so localized, that the shops remain open, and I'll have to go in to work using the underground.

The PP who works in meat processing gave a good explanation about spreading the virus - if working conditions mean you have to practically put your ear to sb mouth to communicate.
I expect some technical minded person to invent sth less dangerous and work safety to then make it mandatory.

How is life over there now? Schools, shopping, parks, entertainment? All I'm full swing or still very cautious?

i live in small-town Germany and everything is pretty ok except that most of the shops are small and still keeping to the number of people allowed in by square-metre.

Gyms have now opened nearly properly - up to a week or two ago you had to make an appointment and you couldn't use the showers/changing rooms or juice bar. Now you can go as you like, use the shower/changing room and shortly the coffee/juice bars will open again.

It's odd getting your hair done with a mask on but a lot of hairdressers are now working overtime (even Mondays when they're traditionally closed) which is helping. Tattoo studios have been allowed to reopen (yaayyy)

Due to fairs not being able to open, two of the really big ones have adopted a novel approach. In Essen there will be a fair with the usual number of rides, but it will all be fenced in.You have to pay EUR 34 for a ticket and can use any rides as much as you like. In Düsseldorf they are doing similar only it's cheaper to get in but you have to pay for the individual rides.

One of the DCs finished their apprenticeship this week (final oral exam) and their class graduation was in very small groups and no group photo. Instead they have all sent in a photo and the teachers are making a collage. They all feel that this huge life event has gone with a whimper not a bang.

We’ve had flights booked to go to Munich in August way before the virus happened. We’ve already lost our Spring holiday, yesterday I booked a free cancellation hotel in Munich yes I may be kidding myself but the idea that it could possibly happen has lifted my spirits massively

*How is life over there now? Schools, shopping, parks, entertainment? All in full swing or still very cautious?
*
I'm at the small children end of the scale, schools and kindergartens are open but nowhere near normal. School has been very very part time in small groups the past few weeks, going back to classes of 20 next week but only 4 days a week with staggered arrival times for different classes, 3.5 hours per day only. Kindergartens are back on regular hours but no parents allowed in the building and subject to short notice changes or cancellations as they can't move carers or kids between groups if someone is ill/has some time off for any reason (ours has been open 1 week and has finished early twice and cancelled one day already).

Parks as full as usual (or more?), shops full again but everyone in masks. We have been to an animal park (outdoor), the beach and several cafes/restaurants (but sat outdoors) in the past weeks, there are reminders about distance and hand hygiene everywhere, you have to book in advance and/or leave your contact details for most things and masks required indoors but generally people seem quite relaxed.

It's definitely not normal but much closer. I think, as with the UK, the restrictions have lasted longer for young children (and by extension their parents) than for adults. Gyms, office working, shops, small family parties, museums etc all started up again before any proper school or childcare provision for example. Softplay and most swimming pools as well as most of the kids clubs and sports groups still closed although my son's football session is back on and outdoor playgrounds have been open for a while now.

Similar experiences to the above. Two secondary-age dc (different schools) have been in 2-3 days/week each for the last few weeks, with half the class in at any one time, fixed groups. Also have a kindergarten-age dc and she's been back three weeks, one of those as 'normal' (i.e. parents allowed into the building, requirement to hand in daily signed confirmation of no C19 infection in the household discontinued). Anything vaguely 'event-like' cancelled, so all end-of-term parties, music school concerts (middle child's music teacher doing a Zoom recital this week), even the usually insanely important kindergarten-leaving party for the year above dd's (that is they will still have a little party but no parents allowed). My older two go on an annual church-run camp thing in the summer which is cancelled this year.

There's a lot of demonstrative near-normality where we are (small town, low infection rates throughout), and there are lots of people out and about, with most things bar big events up and running (with various requirements such as leaving your contact details, wearing masks, distancing etc.), but we're being a bit more conservative. We have started meeting up with friends again (two households at a time), which is lovely.

@Pussycatinboots

How do they track and trace someone who doesn't have a smart phone?

You don’t need a phone to be traced. Why are people still thinking things like this? It’s baffling

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-53131765
2 Sisters Anglesey: 158 factory staff have coronavirus

Out of 400 staff tested, 158 (so far) have tested positive.

I don't think this is a covid safe workplace somehow...