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BERLIN, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 15: A sign "We are now 2G" at the door to a restaurant indicated entry only for vaccinated and recovered people in relation to Covid-19 on November 15, 2021 in Berlin, Germany. Starting today only people who are vaccinated against or recently recovered from Covid-19 are allowed to enter many public venues, including restaurants, bars, cinemas, fitness studios, clubs and hair salons. Critics say the "2G" policy (2G is for the German words geimpft, meaning vaccinated, and genesen, meaning recovered) is a backdoor means of forcing those so far unwilling to get be vaccinated to do so. Germany is in the midst of a fourth wave of the pandemic with record numbers of new infections.
Germany reportedly has one of the lowest vaccination rates in all of Europe. And the number of active COVID-19 continues to increase in the country every single day.
As such, Germany could reportedly follow in the footsteps of Austria, and wherein unvaccinated residents won't be allowed to leave their homes except for a few specific reasons.
Unvaccinated Germans cannot ride public transportations
According to reports, the country could require all those taking public transportation to show proof of their vaccination or a negative test to be permitted entry.
The proposed measures are part of Germany's 3G system, requiring proof of vaccination or a negative test result to enter other public venues like restaurants, malls, churches, and more.
Berlin already placed restrictions on unvaccinated residents. Only those who have proof of vaccination and those that have recovered from COVID-19 in the last six months can go to bars, cinemas, and other entertainment venues.
Stricter rules have yet to be imposed
However, the stricter rules have yet to be imposed in all parts of Germany, and the only way for it to take into effect is if all three traffic light parties come into an agreement.
According to the Financial Times, center-left Social Democrats, Greens, and the pro-business Free Democrats are the ones that proposed stricter restrictions on public transportations.
The three groups are currently negotiating to form Germany's next government and take over Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition.
However, senior Greens legislator Kathrin Goering-Eckardt said that the stricter rules wouldn't necessarily require those residing in care homes to get the jab, according to Reuters.
Austria placed unvaccinated residents on strict lockdown
Germany's southern neighbor, Austria, placed its unvaccinated residents into a strict lockdown starting this week. Police officers in Austria are conducting spot checks to ensure that those who are not inoculated are not leaving their homes.
Austria's Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg dubbed the country's vaccine rates as "shamefully low." He also said that those that refused to get the jab would continue to experience what the country suffered last year when the pandemic started, according to TIME.
Other European countries are still struggling
Just like Germany, Switzerland is also debating the possibility of imposing stricter rules against their unvaccinated residents. After all, the three European countries have the lowest number vaccination rates.
France once again imposed stricter entry rules on unvaccinated travelers from 16 European countries. And Greece continues to push for vaccine mandates among healthcare staff.
Booster shots will be required in Europe
Other parts of Europe are urging residents to get their vaccine boosters. Prime Minister Boris Johnson released a statement saying that a third shot, which is the booster, will soon be required for a person to say that they're fully vaccinated.
"It's very clear that getting three jabs -- getting your booster -- will become an important fact and it will make life easier for you in all sorts of ways, and we will have to adjust our concept of what constitutes a full vaccination to take account of that," he said via CNN.
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