News and Updates regarding Corona Virus in Berlin

Since the beginning of March 2020 the Corona Virus has begun to spread in Berlin and in the rest of Europe.

However we noticed that there is a lack of information for English speaking expats here in Berlin.

Therefore we are trying to give you the most up to date news concerning the Corona Virus here in Berlin and tips on how to get through the quarantine.

How is the current Corona situation in Berlin?

As of 2024 the situation in Berlin and Germany has improved a lot.

Most corona related restrictions have been lifted and life came back to a new normal (which still includes e.g. masks and social distancing).

What is allowed right now in Berlin?

The rules are ever changing and adapting to the current situation.

Some key indicators that influence the rules are the infection rates as well as hospitalization rates.

And lately, the number of people who are already fully vaccinated has increased rapidly, which also helps prevent the spread of the virus.

Right now alll parks are open, but please be considerate and follow the rule to keep at least 1.5m distance to other people.

All supermarkets and shopping malls are open.

You do not need to war a mask anymore while shopping, even if it is still recommended..

Restaurants are also open again and can seat people outside or inside.

Restaurants are not checking your vaccination status anymore.

Where am I allowed to go to in Berlin?

Supermarkets: Open, recommended with face mask.

Doctors: Absolutely fine.

Shopping (not including groceries): All shops are allowed to open again. Wearing a mask is recommended and access still might be limited to fewer people at once. Check ins are not mandatory anymore

Parks: Open

Work: Open, but most companies kept their home-office rules.

Visit friends or daytrips: No restrictions anymore on how many people to meet.

Cinemas: Open again.

Restaurants: Open again.

Bars: Open.

Gyms and other sport facilities: Open again.

What should I do if I think I got infected with Corona Virus?

Very important, if you think you might have been infected with Corona Virus and you already developed symptoms do not go and visit your GP.

First of all you should get in contact with officials by calling (030) 9028-2828

They will then evaluate following RKI-guidelines if you should be tested for a Corona-Virus infection.

• Have you been in contact with a Corona-Virus infected person?
• Have you been to an area of high risk such as Northern Italy, Madrid or China?
• Do you have the typical symtoms such as fever, persistent dry cough, etc.?

Where can I be tested for Corona-Virus?

Berlin recently opened up several Corona-Virus testing stations all around town.

This way people who suspect that they got infected are not visiting their GP and potentially spreading the virus to other people in the waiting room and working at the GP.

Right now there are 8 different testing centers just for Corona infections:

• Charité Campus Virchow-Klinikum
• DRK Kliniken Berlin Westend
• Vivantes Klinikum Prenzlauer Berg
• Vivantes Wenckebach-Klinikum
• Evangelisches Krankenhaus Königin Elisabeth Herzberge
• Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Havelhöhe
• Vivantes Spandau Hospital
• DRK Kliniken Berlin Köpenick

Furthermore you will notice that there are Schnelltestcenters open at literally every street corner.

Here you can get tested free of charge. These results are valid e.g. for visiting a restaurant within 24 hours.

For more detailed information visit the official Berlin website.

What does flatten the curve mean and how do we achieve this?

The reason behind the first and second lockdown was that the government wanted to take away the extreme pressure on the hospitals when too many patients at once are admitted.

This happened in Italy in the beginning of March 2020 and led to an increase of avoidable deaths as not everybody could get the necessary medical attention.

You might have heard already that politicians are concerned to flatten the curve of infections in order to keep the number of new infections as low as possible.

With this strategy they are trying to avoid a situation just like in Italy where the number of new cases per day exploded and far exceeded their capacity in hospitals.

To achieve this flattened curve we need to limit our social interactions, called social distancing, to an absolute minimum.

Before the social distancing measurements one infected person roughly infected three other people, which leads to another nine infections and so on.

You can see the exponential growth here and how this would quickly lead to a collapse of our health care system in Berlin.

So right now the only sensible thing to do is to suck it up and really follow this rule for the time being.

Corona-Tipp 1: Buy groceries online

Some of you might want to avoid the cramped situation in a supermarket where shoppers are passing by without 1.5m distance in the narrow shopping aisles.

Instead of risking getting an infection while shopping we are currently doing all of our grocery shopping online.

Our favorite place to order groceries online is Rewe Lieferservice.

Check out our article about the best grocery delivery services in Berlin for tipps on how to get the desired delivery slot.

Corona-Tipp 2: Online streaming options for free

Most of you are probably already signed-up for Netflix or Amazon Prime.

Streaming providers already noticed an extreme spike in traffic since the lock-down.

But this is the perfect time now to catch up on your favorite TV show. Here are some great streaming options for free.

Disney+ : Best streaming platform if you enjoy Disney (duh!) movies and Star Wars franchise.

Joyn: A German streaming plattform with awesome exclusive content. You need to watch Jerks, the most hilarious German TV show ever. 1 month free trial.

ARDmediathek: German TV station with lots of cool stuff. Always for free.

Corona-Tipp 3: Free access to E-Books at the Berlin library

Instead of spending your days in front of the TV why not start reading that book that you always wanted to read?

The Berlin libraries offer a 3 month free account with access to all E-Books!

We are trying to keep this list as updated as possible with the newest developments and free stuff for the time you have to spend at home.

Stay safe and healthy Berliners!