With coronavirus case numbers continuing to rise dramatically - despite the seven-day incidence rate already being the highest in Germany - authorities in the district of Berchtesgadener Land in Bavaria have decided to take drastic action. A second lockdown will come into force on Tuesday afternoon. 

New restrictions come into force in Berchtesgadener Land

From 2 pm on Tuesday, October 20, the 105.900 residents of the Bavarian district of Berchtesgadener Land will only be allowed to leave their homes for essential reasons - such as going to work, shopping for food, or exercising outdoors. Residents can only carry out these activities alone, or with the members of their own household.  

Schools and daycare centres will only be open to provide emergency childcare, and leisure facilities, bars and restaurants will be forced to close. Events will not be permitted and hotels will only be open to business travellers. The measures will initially be in place for two weeks. 

7-day incidence rate is highest in Germany

The drastic action comes after the district recorded an additional 118 new infections over the weekend, pushing the so-called seven day incidence rate (the number of new infections per 100.000 residents over the past seven days) to 272,8 - by far the highest figure recorded in any of the coronavirus hotspots in Germany. 

Bavarian State Premier Markus Söder said that social contacts in the area needed to be “fundamentally restricted - as far as events are concerned, as far as contacts to the outside world are concerned.” The idea, he said, was to “apply to the toughest protocol at the site in order to regain control of the infection situation as quickly as possible.” 

The Bavarian government plans to meet this week to draw up new plans for getting the coronavirus pandemic under control in the southern federal state, where more than half of the districts have exceeded the seven-day incidence rate of 35. 29 have even surpassed the 50 mark.