Protesters gather as German lawmakers vote on lockdown rules

Berlin: Protesters began gathering in central Berlin early Wednesday as lawmakers prepared to vote on a proposal by Chancellor Angela Merkel's Cabinet that would mandate nationwide restrictions as an "emergency brake” when the coronavirus is spreading too quickly.

The proposal is intended to end the patchwork of measures that have characterized the pandemic response across Germany’s 16 states. It features plans for imposing a nighttime curfew, limiting personal contacts, and closing stores, cultural venues, and sports facilities. The measures would kick in for areas where there are more than 100 weekly new cases per 100,000 residents. Germany's nationwide rate was slightly above 160 cases per 100,000 on Wednesday, according to the country's disease control center, the Robert Koch Institute.