Germany's Tourism Commissioner has said that it was the wrong decision not to implement mandatory vaccination much earlier, and now believes that the policy will soon be introduced by the German Government.
Some states in Germany have already imposed restrictions on the unvaccinated, but Federal lawmakers are meeting on Thursday to discuss whether these rules should be applied nationally.
The outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for tough restrictions to be imposed on the unvaccinated population.
According to a recent survey of Germany's unvaccinated, 27% of respondents said that vaccine passports will harden their decision not to get vaccinated.
The unvaccinated are set to be banned from this winter's Berlin Christmas Market.
Free lateral flow tests are being scrapped in Germany, putting financial pressure on those who don't want to get jabbed but must show proof of vaccination or recent testing to attend public gatherings.
Hamburg businesses have been told they are allowed to bar unvaccinated residents from using their services. Those that don't will be forced to continue enforcing other restrictive policies.
Reports suggest that more countries – including Italy, Germany and Austria – could be added to the "Green List" later this week, allowing unvaccinated Brits to holiday abroad without needing to quarantine when back home.
Many countries are stepping up their efforts to incentivise vaccination against Covid. Some are offering free pints and in Germany, the Government is considering giving those who are hesitant €300 if they get ‘jabbed’.
German researchers looked at changes in the R number over time, and found they had "no direct connection" with lockdown measures. Significantly, infections were already declining when lockdowns were imposed last March.
