Federal and regional authorities have agreed on what they call a “contact ban,” which basically prohibits all meetings between people in which more than two persons are involved. Exceptions will be made only for families and people living together in the same households, Chancellor Angela Merkel said.

All restaurants that continue to open should be closed immediately. From now on, they will only be allowed to serve take-away meals. The same measure applies to service industry businesses, such as hairdressers or beauty-care studios.

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