As the partial lockdown seems to have failed to reverse the trend of the rising number of new Covid-19 cases, Germans are in for an unusual holiday season as the country has entered a hard lockdown to curb the virus spread.

Uder the new lockdown which came into force on Wednesday, at least until January 10, 2021, private gatherings have been curtailed to two households or to a maximum of five people, reports news agency. All non-essential stores and services in Germany have to remain closed.

All schools in Germany are also closed as obligatory attendance has been suspended. With some exceptions, the same applies to daycare facilities for children. "We are forced to act and are acting now," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel when announcing the hard lockdown. The soft lockdown that had been in place since the beginning of November was "not enough", she added.

For the three Christmas days (December 24-26), the hard lockdown will be slightly softened to allow Germans to celebrate with their loved ones. The government will permit close family gatherings with up to four people beyond one's household members, effectively raising the limit of two households or five people.

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