Italy and the Netherlands are set to impose tough new anti-coronavirus measures before the holidays as Germany, already facing a hard Christmas lockdown, warned their restrictions were unlikely to ease early in the new year.
Italian media reported that the government could place the whole country under so-called “red-zone” lockdown from Christmas Eve until at least 2 January amid mounting fears of a possible surge in infections over the festive period.
Quick guide Covid at Christmas: how do rules vary across Europe?
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France reopened non-essential shops this month, allowing Christmas shopping to begin. But an uptick in new infections since then means that while travel is permitted from 15 December, a nationwide 8pm to 7am curfew will begin then that will be lifted for 24 December, but not Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve. Bars and restaurants will not reopen until January and private gatherings are limited to six adults.
Germany extended its “lockdown lite” until early January, but amid a record surge in infections and deaths may have to shut down further before Christmas – possibly allowing people to leave home only for essential reasons and closing shops from 21 December. Private meetings are currently limited to five, a limit that should be raised to 10 from between 23 December and 1 January, but this may change.
Austria’s strict lockdown ends this month. The country is carrying out a mass programme of 10 million tests over the next fortnight with the aim of allowing more families to reunite over the festive period. Christmas markets have been cancelled.
Italy has banned inter-regional travel from 20 December to 6 January except for work, health or emergency reasons, and Italians may not leave their towns on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day. Midnight mass on 24 December will be brought forward so worshippers can get home before the country’s 10pm-5am curfew, and people arriving from EU countries must present a negative test.
Spain has appealed for people to be responsible but will allow movement between regions “for family reasons” between 23 December and 6 January. Regional curfews, which range from 10pm to midnight, will be pushed back to 1.30am on 24 and 31 December, when the limit for gatherings will be raised from six to 10, a measure that will also apply on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Authorities in the Netherlands have said current restrictions will not be relaxed for Christmas and may yet be strengthened if infections rise. Guests for Christmas dinner will be limited to three (excluding under-13s); cafes, bars and restaurants will remain shut except for takeaways; non-essential shops must close at 8pm and all non-essential travel is discouraged.
Belgium has said households may be in close contact with just one extra person over the Christmas period, although people living on their own will be allowed to meet two others. Fireworks are to be banned on New Year’s Eve to limit gatherings.
Poland will allow people to spend Christmas only with their immediate family, with no more than five guests to be invited to each household until at least 27 December and travel banned outside people’s home towns.
John Henley Europe correspondent
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The measures, expected to be announced later in the day, could include extending night curfews, banning non-essential movement, shutting all except for non-essential shops and closing all bars and restaurants on weekends and holidays.
Italy reported another 484 Covid-19 fatalities on Sundaysurpassing Britain as the country with the highest death toll in Europe – as crowds of shoppers continued to flock to city centres after a partial easing of restrictions.
“The crowds are unjustifiable, irrational, irresponsible,” , minister for regional affairs, told the daily newspaper La Repubblica, adding that “business and health are simply not reconcilable at the moment”.
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Earlier this month the government banned travel during the holiday period except for work, health or emergency reasons, barring Italians from leaving their home towns on Christmas, Boxing or New Year’s Day. Midnight mass on 24 December was brought forward so worshippers could observe a 10pm curfew.
Italy’s expected move follows a similar step by Germany, which on Sunday said it would close all except essential shops such as supermarkets and pharmacies, as well as hair and beauty salons, from Wednesday until at least 10 January as it battles “exponential growth” in infections.
The economy minister, Peter Altmaier, urged citizens to forgo Christmas shopping altogether, telling people to “only buy what they really need, like groceries”, while Angela Merkel’s chief of staff said a “comprehensive easing” of the new measures would be “very, very unlikely” in January or February.
Merkel had hoped that a “lockdown lite” imposed in November would bring infection levels down so Germans could celebrate Christmas and New Year almost normally, but the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases reported more than 16,000 new cases on Monday, 4,000 more than seven days ago.
Hospitals across the country have warned they are reaching their limits and schools nationwide are to close or switch to home schooling from Wednesday. The number of people allowed to meet indoors remains at five, except for Christmas Day.
Senior figures appealed to people to stay at home and watch the traditional Christmas mass online. Michael Kretschmer, governor of the eastern state of Saxony, said this would be the first time in his life he would not attend mass on 24 December.
“I don’t need it for my belief and I think it is right if all of us hold off during this sensitive time” Kretschmer said. “Joseph and Mary were also on their own on the holy night.”
The Netherlands, too, is set to announce strict anti-coronavirus measures in the runup to Christmas, with the prime minister, Mark Rutte, due to address the nation at 7pm and widely expected to announce restrictions including possibly including closing all non-essential shops, theatres and museums.
The expected tightening follows a cabinet crisis meeting over the weekend to discuss the country’s rapidly rising figures, with almost 10,000 new infections reported on Sunday.
Britain is expected to maintain its rules around Christmas despite scientists and government advisers urging people to rethink their plans and ignore the easing of Covid rules amid fears over rising cases and hospitalisations in parts of the UK.
“Christmas bubbles” allow three households to mix between 23 and 27 December, but experts have warned that the government is sending the wrong message by saying families must simply “follow the rules”, suggesting it may result in a third wave.
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