Germany :  In a bid to combat the country's fourth wave of Covid-19 infections, Germany has imposed harsher measures for unvaccinated people. Only vaccinated and recovered people will be allowed access to stores under the so-called 2G guidelines (2G stands for "vaccinated"), which have been approved by the federal and state administrations. According to sources, however, stores providing necessary commodities would be exempt from this law.

"The situation in our country is grave," acting Chancellor Angela Merkel said after meeting with her designated successor, Olaf Scholz, and the heads of government from the federal states at a press conference.

Meetings with people who have not been vaccinated or who have not recently recovered from Covid-19 in public or private areas will be limited to one household plus a maximum of two people from another household. Indoor discotheques and clubs will be closed in areas where regional seven-day incidence rates of over 350 new illnesses per 100,000 people have been detected, according to the government. The stronger Covid-19 restrictions, Merkel said, are a "act of national unity" that is needed to lower infection levels and relieve pressure on the country's health system.

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