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We don’t know if this is a temporary reprieve or permanent, but maybe long enough for people to go Christmas shopping in one German State. Apparently testing instead of vaccination isn’t being allowed.

Many governments are trying to run shops out of business. The shops in Lower Saxony got a slight reprieve. Most shops depend upon Christmas to survive.

We all know that the vaccines don’t stop transmission. Furthermore, we can’t even find omicron deaths, apart from one in the UK. By all accounts, it’s a common cold. Coronaviruses cause 1/3rd of common colds, and people do die of common colds. However, no one has ever worried about colds in the past. They should simply fine or imprison people who don’t cover their mouths when they cough! If people are fearful, then let them stay home. If they want to shop, let them shop! It’s O-Micron, meaning very small. It’s not Omni-cron, though it appears to be an Omni-con, i.e. an all encompassing con. Any bets that they will figure out how to turn 2G into 5G?

The Lower Saxony Higher Administrative Court (OVG) in Lüneburg overturned the 2G rule for retail in Lower Saxony on last Thursday. The 2G rule means that only vaccinated and those having recovered from Covid-19 can access retail establishments. The German Federal and State governments had agreed nationwide to the 2G rule nationwide at the beginning of December.

The retail trade association has protested against the regulation, and complaints have already been received in several courts. In Schleswig-Holstein, however, an urgent application against the 2G rule was rejected by the court. There the judges referred to the new, more contagious virus variant Omicron. [1, 2]

Stefan Birkner, December 16, 2021: “The OVG overturns the 2G regulation in retail. Good. Trying to increase the vaccination rate at the expense of certain industries and without looking at the infection rate is wrong. For the @NdsLandesReg this is just another testimony to their planless and aimless #Corona policy”https://twitter.com/stefan_birkner [3]

“The Lower Saxony Higher Administrative Court has only just confirmed that 2G is disproportionate in trade and does not make an effective contribution to containing the pandemic. “Adhering to these regulations in other federal states is unacceptable. A nationwide uniform and proportionate solution is needed,” said Genth.

In a pandemic for over a year and a half, safe shopping with hygiene concepts, distance and mask requirements have proven their worth.”
https://einzelhandel.de/presse/aktuellemeldungen/13623-letzte-adventswoche-enttaeuschendes-weihnachtsgeschaeft-schuert-existenzangst-im-handel

Translation based on News Release from Handelsverband Deutschland (Trade Association, Germany):
Last week of Advent: disappointing Christmas business is fueling existential fears in retail

December 19, 2021

Hoped for a ray of hope months ago at the end of the year, the Christmas business is marked by disappointment. As a current trend survey by the German Retail Association (HDE) shows among 1,000 retail companies, two thirds of those surveyed are dissatisfied with the way things have gone so far. With a view to the growing existential threat, the HDE calls for a move away from 2G in retail and a nationwide uniform solution.

“This year’s Christmas business is a bitter disappointment for many retailers. 2G has been bothering them for weeks, and that in what is usually the busiest time of year,” says HDE Managing Director Stefan Genth. A few days before Christmas, the mood was sad, especially in the city centers. According to the HDE trend survey, 80 percent of the companies surveyed are dissatisfied with business developments over the Christmas period. Even over the week before the fourth week of Advent there is a big decline in sales and frequencies. The non-food trade, which is open under 2G conditions, recorded a drop in sales of 34 percent compared to the pre-crisis year 2019. In inner-city retail, sales fell by 35 percent, while customer frequency was 41 percent below the previous year’s level. The situation is particularly dramatic in the clothing trade, which lost 37 percent of its sales and recorded 42 percent lower visitor numbers. “The clear drop in sales and frequencies continued through the entire Advent season and worsened the tense situation in retail week after week,” Genth continued.

As the HDE trend survey shows, only 15 percent of those surveyed from the non-food trade have positive expectations for the time until the end of the year.

“It’s about much more than a successful Christmas business. It’s about livelihoods,” emphasizes Genth. According to the survey, around half of the non-food retailers surveyed see their existence in jeopardy if access restrictions for shops continue to apply.

“After months of lockdowns, 2G is again bringing many retailers to the edge of their existence. There should no longer be disproportionate access restrictions,” emphasizes Genth.

The Lower Saxony Higher Administrative Court has only just confirmed that 2G is disproportionate in trade and does not make an effective contribution to containing the pandemic. “Adhering to these regulations in other federal states is unacceptable. A nationwide uniform and proportionate solution is needed, ”said Genth.

In a pandemic for over a year and a half, safe shopping with hygiene concepts, distance and mask requirements have proven their worth.
https://einzelhandel.de/presse/aktuellemeldungen/13623-letzte-adventswoche-enttaeuschendes-weihnachtsgeschaeft-schuert-existenzangst-im-handel

Notes
[1] “Pandemie: Bund hält an 2G-Regel für Einzelhandel fest” 17 Dec. 2021 http://web.archive.org/web/20211217130935/https://www.stuttgarter-zeitung.de/inhalt.pandemie-bund-haelt-an-2g-regel-fuer-einzelhandel-fest.9db65395-5c59-43d2-a703-b65473192b02.html

[2] “Weihnachtsruhe in Niedersachsen: Corona-Regeln zu Weihnachten 2021” http://web.archive.org/web/20211217051727/https://www.augsburger-allgemeine.de/politik/weihnachtsruhe-niedersachsen-corona-regeln-zu-weihnachten-2021-2g-gekippt-id61294176.html

[3] Stefan Birkner @Stefan_Birkner Dec 16
“Das OVG kippt die 2G-Regelung im Einzelhandel. Gut. Zu versuchen, die Impfquote auf Kosten bestimmter Branchen und ohne Blick auf das Infektionsgeschehen zu steigern, ist falsch. Für die
@NdsLandesReg ist dies nur ein weiteres Zeugnis ihrer plan- und ziellosen #Corona-Politik.”https://twitter.com/stefan_birkner

“They also agreed on the introduction of “2G” restrictions for the unvaccinated in those regions where a certain hospitalization rate is exceeded. “2G” refers to a system only allowing free movement for leisure activities for the geimpft oder genesen — “vaccinated or recovered.” https://www.dw.com/en/covid-germany-introduces-new-measures-to-curb-the-pandemic/a-59852951

Read more details in English here: https://www.expaturm.com/german-lifestyle/court-overturns-the-2g-rule/ (The article says that it’s a temporary reprieve and that Woolworth’s sued.)

Painting: “Street Scene, Christmas Morning”
Childe Hassam Date: 1892
https://www.wikiart.org/en/childe-hassam/street-scene-christmas-morning