Germany’s new lockdown has hit its people like a lightning bolt. On Tuesday, Angela Merkel and the 16 federal state leaders decided that those in coronavirus hotspots should not be allowed to travel beyond a nine-mile radius (15 kilometres) if they don’t have a valid reason.
Valid reasons include a visit to a doctor’s office, shopping for necessities and commuting to work. Yet many Germans feel that the new regulations are arbitrary and affect rural areas much more than cities. The nine-mile radius as a metric is added to the edge of the town, meaning that those living in a large city still have a lot of space where they can move freely. Meanwhile, those in rural areas might not even be able to visit their relatives who live three villages away.
Many Germans feel the new regulations are arbitrary and affect rural areas much more than cities
These restrictions on movement are seen as the best way to keep people in their homes as much as possible — fewer contacts between individuals mean fewer infections.
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