This Italian region now has Europe’s highest Tibetan bridge
It’s not for the faint-hearted
The new measures are aimed at stopping the spread of Omicron
After yesterdays’ meeting of the Conference of Minister-Presidents, Germany has decided on instituting further pandemic restrictions for the holiday season. The big takeaway – everyone, regardless of their Covid-immunity status will have to limit social interactions starting from 28 December.
The government has also mandated a vaccinated or recovered status for employees in clinics, nursing homes and the like, which will come into effect on 15 March 2022.
The new measures will be in place at least until 7 January, when the Conference of Minister-Presidents will reconvene to access the situation and determine their success in limiting the spread of the Omicron variant.
Back at the start of December, Germany introduced social distancing measures that limited social gatherings for the unvaccinated. Now, they are expanding this measure to cover everyone. Starting 28 December, private gatherings cannot exceed 10 people.
If there are unvaccinated people at the gathering, then the attendees must be limited to the unvaccinated attendees' household and a maximum of two people from another household. Children under the age of 14 do not count.
Leisure and cultural events can only be attended by the vaccinated or recovered persons, while some can offer attendance to people with a negative PCR test. Clubs and discos, however, will be closed after 28 December.
Shops will still be off-limits for the unvaccinated, save for essential services like grocery stores and pharmacies.
On New Year’s Eve, the sale of pyrotechnics will be banned. The government strongly advises the citizens against using fireworks, as the risk of injury has the chance to burden the healthcare system unnecessarily.
Finally, people will need a valid green certificate to use local public transport, as well as for long distances. This means that citizens need to be vaccinated, tested or have a PCR test or rapid test. The test must not be older than 24 hours, at the start of the passengers’ journey.
Today, the German Ethics Council – an expert body addressing the ethical, scientific, medical and social aspects of certain policy decisions – spoke out in favour of a vaccine mandate. This development is due to fears from the rising Omicron variant.
Furthermore, 13 of the 24 councillors are in favour of a general vaccine mandate. Meanwhile, seven are in favour of a partial mandate, targeted at specific high-risk occupations, as well as people in vulnerable groups.
The Ethics Council spoke out about a moral obligation to get vaccinated against coronavirus – to protect others. Although they acknowledged that a vaccine mandate is an encroachment on personal freedoms, the damage that the pandemic can do to society is far greater. The council pointed out that people also have the right to education, culture and healthcare - the latter being essentially closed for any other treatments during an outbreak.
Their final declaration signed by 20 out of the 24 members states that a vaccine mandate is justified as a protective measure against the serious consequences of the pandemic.
According to the DPA, parliament will vote on mandatory vaccination at the beginning of 2022. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has spoken out in favour of the measure before.
What are the reasons for that and are there any possible solutions for that problem?
Possibly making it the only legislature in the world with a religious temple on-site
It’s not for the faint-hearted
Presenting the next chapter in the Dutch capital’s ‘Stay Away’ campaign aimed at rowdy tourists
The City says this has become a necessity due to the increasing number of incidents involving these vehicles
That way you can notify a canal lock keeper to open the gates so the animals can swim through
The organizers had been considering different Parisian spots, but always with the idea of the flame being visible to the people
Electricity production in that Eastern European country will not release direct CO2 emissions anymore
Possibly making it the only legislature in the world with a religious temple on-site
This initiative is not just about making books more accessible – it has larger ambitions in its sights
We owe the unusual cultural icon to this country in Europe
The country’s capital has been a pioneer in crafting policy and initiatives to improve coexistence between people and pets
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
Catch up with some recommendations for the 2024 European Capital of Culture programme from the mayor of Tartu
An interview with the ICLEI regional director for Europe аfter the close of COP28
An interview with a member of the No Hate Speech Network team