Overview: Berlin’s Corona Regulations

This week, the Berlin Senate discussed new Corona rules. On Friday, some of them were put in place. More apply from today. Here they are.

Berlin, January 15th, 2022 (The Berlin Spectator) — On Friday of last week, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the Governors of Germany’s sixteen states decided to implement new Corona rules. This week, most states adopted them. Of course, the new restrictions are not supposed to annoy people, but protect them. Especially unvaccinated persons are in danger. The Federal Republic has already managed to slow down the Omicron wave to some extent, by putting in place strict rules before it hit. These are all Corona regulations that apply in Berlin.

Quarantine Rules (apply since January 14th, 2022)

• Persons who were in contact with infected individuals need to go into quarantine for 10 days, but there are exceptions: People who already got booster vaccinations (third shot), who got their second shot within the past three months or who recovered from COVID-19 within that same period, are exempt, meaning they do not have to go into quarantine.
• Infected persons, also those without symptoms, need to go into quarantine for 10 days.
• After at least seven days of quarantine, people can get out early if they test negative. Antigen or PCR tests are fine. In the case of nurses, doctors, other hospital employees and caretakers in nursing homes, PCR tests are required to get out, and their symptoms need to have vanished at least two days prior.
• Persons up to 17 years of age can end their isolation after five days if they test negative (antigen or PCR).

New Corona Rules (apply since January 15th, 2022)

• In order to enter restaurants, cafés or pubs, vaccinated persons (2 shots) and those who recovered from COVID-19 in the past six months need Corona tests with negative results from the same day. ‘Boostered’ individuals (3 shots) may enter without tests. Unvaccinated people generally do not have access. The same applies to cultural venues and sports locations. Children below 14 years of age are exempt.
• In public transport, wearing FFP2 standard masks is mandatory.
• In order to enter non-essential retail businesses, vaccinations (2 shots) are needed. Persons who recently recovered from COVID-19 (within the past 6 months) may enter as well. Small shops (up to 100 square meters) need to check vaccination certificates at the entrance. Supermarkets, pharmacies and drugstores may be entered by everyone as long as they wear masks and keep their distance.
• At occupational training facilities, negative Corona tests are required.

Contact Restrictions and Other Rules (apply since December 28th, 2021)

• Up to 10 persons may gather indoors or outdoors. As soon as at least one unvaccinated person is part of any gathering, the rule changes. In this case, members of one household may meet up to two members of up to one more household.
• Restrictions apply in public buildings. Most may be entered by vaccinated persons, by those who recently recovered from COVID-19 and persons who just tested negative, on the same day.
• Dance events are forbidden, even at discotheques and other dance clubs. Visitors may just sit or stand there and talk, if they are ‘boostered’ or if they are vaccinated and have fresh and negative Corona tests. Persons who recently recovered from COVID-19 may go as well, if they have a negative test result.
• Outdoor events with more than 1,000 participants are forbidden. The same applies to indoor events with more than 200 people. Exceptions might apply if strict hygiene rules are being adhered to.

Abbreviations for Corona Rules in Germany

• ‘3G’, “Geimpft, genesen, getestet”: Vaccinated, recovered (from COVID-19 in the past six months) and tested persons have access.
• ‘2G’, “Geimpft, genesen”: Vaccinated and recovered (from COVID-19 in the past six months) persons have access.
• ‘2G Plus’, “Geimpft, genesen plus …”: It depends. Usually, vaccinated and recovered persons need negative Corona tgests from the same day, while ‘boostered’ individuals do not.

Looking for the daily Corona update for Germany? Find it here.
ALL CORONA CHRONOLOGIES:
Corona Chronology for Germany, 2022 (from Dec. 22nd, 2021)
Corona Chronology for Germany, 2021
Corona Chronology for Germany, 2020

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