Germany: Local lockdown after new COVID-19 outbreak

BERLIN

Authorities in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia on Tuesday reimposed lockdown measures in a district at the center of a fresh wave of coronavirus infections.

Over 1,550 people working at a meatpacking factory and slaughterhouse in Gutersloh have tested positive for COVID-19, according to Armin Laschet, premier of the North Rhine-Westphalia state.

He said the factory had been shut down temporarily and lockdown measures initially imposed in March had been reapplied in the Gutersloh district.

Laschet said all indoor activities where there is no obligation to wear a mask are prohibited and places including concert halls, movie theaters, museums, galleries, swimming pools, and gyms would be closed.

He said all bars would be closed, while restaurants would remain open with certain conditions.

The state premier stressed that picnics and barbecues would be forbidden even in open areas.

He said a travel ban has not being imposed but advised locals not to leave Gutersloh, which is home to over 350,000 people.

The measures will remain in place until June 30, according to Laschet.

* Writing by Busra Nur Bilgic Cakmak in Ankara