The state government adopted a new containment ordinance today. This implements the results of the video conference between the Federal Chancellor and the governments of the federal states. The updated version will enter into force on Monday, 15 February 2021.
Excerpt from the state government's press release:
"The containment measures have led to a significant decline in the incidence of infection in the state of Brandenburg in recent weeks. Despite this success, contact restrictions must be maintained in the coming weeks, especially as corona mutations such as the "British" variant and the "South African" variant are also spreading in Brandenburg and the overall levels are still too high.
The cabinet therefore decided today to maintain the existing contact restrictions and to extend the lockdown to contain the coronavirus pandemic by three weeks until 7 March (e.g. closure of restaurants, large parts of the retail sector and cultural institutions).
At the same time, the first cautious relaxations were decided. The updated ordinance comes into force on Monday (15 February). Brandenburg is thus implementing the agreement reached at the Minister Presidents' Conference (MPK) with Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday into state law. [...]
The three-week extension of the lockdown is associated with the first easing of restrictions: Classes 1 to 6 at primary level will resume from 22 February, alternating between face-to-face and distance learning. [...]
In order to prevent the spread of the much more contagious variants of the coronavirus and to further contain the incidence of infection, it is still necessary to reduce physical contact with other people to an absolute minimum and to keep the number of people in contact with each other as constant as possible. Every person in Brandenburg is still obliged to do this. The general distancing and hygiene rules must also continue to be consistently observed. The closures, e.g. of catering establishments, large parts of the retail trade and cultural institutions, remain in place.
Private gatherings with family, friends or acquaintances are still only permitted with members of your own household and with one other person from outside the household (plus children up to the age of 14 from these two households). This applies to gatherings in private homes and gardens as well as in public or rented rooms. [...]
Hairdressers: From 1 March, hairdressing businesses can reopensubject to conditions (including control and restriction of access, mandatory wearing of a medical mask by all customers and mandatory wearing of a mouth-nose cover by all other persons, recording of customers' personal data, regular replacement of room air with fresh air). In view of the importance of hairdressers for personal hygiene and the closure that has already been in place since 16 December 2020, it is necessary to enable the use of hairdressing services, as significant sections of the population, especially older people, are dependent on them, according to the MPK's decision of 10 February. This is the only reason why hairdressing businesses are allowed to open, unlike other body-related services such as beauty salons, massage parlours and tattoo studios, which remain closed.
Animal parks, game reserves, zoological and botanical gardens are no longer subject to the closure order. This means that they are allowed to reopen to the public. Exceptions to this are their animal houses. The public is still not allowed to enter animal houses for infection control reasons. And: Operators must ensure compliance with the distancing requirement between all persons, the control and restriction of access and the mandatory wearing of a medical mask by all visitors on the basis of an individual hygiene concept and through suitable organisational measures.
The federal and state governments agreed in the MPK on Tuesday to agree on a perspective for further easing of restrictions by the first week of March. If the incidence remains stable at the highest level of 35 (new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in 7 days), the next step towards reopening will include the retail sector, museums and galleries over several days."