Via DW, a discouraging survey: Coronavirus digest: Multiple German cities exceed COVID-19 threshold. Excerpt:
The German cities of Essen, Bremen and Stuttgart have exceeded the rate of 50 cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days, reaching a warning level that prompted authorities to prepare for fresh restrictions.
The infection rate in Stuttgart, the state capital of Baden-Württemberg, on Saturday evening was 50.5 per 100,000 residents.
While private gatherings of more than 25 people are already banned in the city, the new measures will include restrictions on alcohol consumption, the mandatory wearing of masks, and limited opening hours for bars or restaurants. Authorities also encouraged people to work from home.
These cities have now been marked coronavirus hotspots, along with Cologne, Berlin, and Frankfurt where restrictions have already come into force.
Coronavirus cases in Germany continue to rise as cities grapple to impose new restrictions. The country recorded 4,721 new cases on Saturday, crossing the 4,000-mark for the third day in a row.
Europe
The Netherlands reported a record number of daily infections, hitting close to 6,500 cases on Saturday. The government said fresh restrictions will be imposed in the country if the number of cases and hospitalizations didn't drop over the weekend.
The Netherlands is one of the worst-hit countries in Europe's second wave of COVID-19.
Poland announced new measures to curb the spread of coronavirus after the country registered a record number of cases for the fifth consecutive day.
Authorities have asked people to wear face masks in all public places after the country hit a new record daily of over 5,300 infections. However, they did not mandate the distance learning for schools.
Ireland and Portugal saw a record daily rise in the number of cases since the start of the pandemic. While Ireland reported 1,012 new cases of COVID-19, Portugal confirmed 1,646 new infections.
Two anti-mask protests were held in Rome despite a resurgence of COVID-19 infections in Italy. The country's health ministry reported 5,724 new cases and 29 more deaths on Saturday.
At one of the protest sites, demonstrators criticized the anti-coronavirus rules, such as a €1,000 ($1,183) fine for not wearing masks in public, as too harsh. Most of the new cases are in the north of the country.
Italy has reported a total of nearly 350,000 infections and more than 36,000 deaths so far.
