It may not be a Blue Christmas in Germany

Every cloud has a silver lining. Even amid the gloom and doom of the coronavirus pandemic, there are words of cheer.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has promised her countrymen a pleasant Christmas, with loved ones, despite the hardship in the wake of the virus.

It won’t be a lonely Christmas, were her comforting words to the distressed.

There will be no big New Year’s parties in Germany this year, but families should be able to come together for Christmas, she remarked, in a message meant to reassure the nation.

“The light at the end of the tunnel is still quite a long way off,” she told a news conference recently.

But striking a more hopeful tone than when she presented the lockdown measures earlier, the chancellor also said that if Germans reduce their contact with each other in November, they would be able to do more over Christmas.

“It’s going to be a Christmas under coronavirus conditions, but it shouldn’t be a lonely Christmas,” she said.

“I don’t think there will be big New Year’s parties, but that core family members will be able to visit each other, perhaps with protective measures.”

Citing one example, she said families might be permitted to visit grandparents after a few days of “pre-quarantine”.

Germany has kept infection and death rates below those of many of its neighbours in the first phase of the crisis early this year, but like much of the rest of Europe it is now facing a second wave with record infection rates.

Germany embarked on a so-called “wave-breaker” shutdown on Nov.2, closing restaurants, sports and leisure facilities but leaving schools, shops and hair salons open.

It was initially slated to last four weeks but Chancellor Angela Merkel and the country’s 16 state governors agreed late on Wednesday to extend it till Dec. 20 with a goal of pushing the number of new coronavirus cases in each region below 50 per 100,000 inhabitants per week. It’s currently at 140 per 100,000.

Germany just cannot afford the rapid spread of the virus to swamp its health system.

Throughout the winter months, private contact has to be curbed. A curfew in Germany should be avoided as far as possible.

However, there is a ray of hope. Firms battered by the coronavirus have received a blessing from the leader: they will get economic support. Smaller companies would get 75% of their income in support.

To compensate firms hit by the new measures, Finance Minister Olaf Scholz wants to make available up to 10 billion euros in aid.

The drastic steps are aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus in Europe’s biggest economy as the number of new cases hit a record high.

“If we wait until intensive care is full, it is too late,” said Health Minister Jens Spahn, who had tested positive for the virus.

The German economy contracted by a record 9.7% in the second quarter as household spending, company investment and trade all collapsed due to the virus.

However, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said recently a strong response from the state was helping fuel a quicker than expected recovery.

There are challenges, though. Germany wants Alpine countries to keep ski resorts closed to help fight the coronavirus pandemic, but reaching an agreement with neighbouring Austria is proving difficult, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday.

In the first wave of the coronavirus at the start of the year, many Germans were infected at the Austrian ski resort of Ischgl. Germany last month issued travel warnings for popular ski regions in Austria, Italy and Switzerland.

With the country having passed the grim milestone of over 15,000 deaths from the coronavirus, it remains to be seen whether Merkel will be able to fulfil her Christmas promise.