Most of Germany imposes $59 fine for mask-wearing breaches

BERLIN (AP) — Most of Germany will impose a minimum fine of 50 euros ($59) for breaching mask-wearing rules as coronavirus infections rise again, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday after a virtual meeting with the country's state governors.

Officials also agreed to extend a ban on big events where social distancing and contact tracing can’t be ensured until the end of December.

In decentralized Germany, imposing and loosening virus-related restrictions is a matter for the 16 state governments, so a patchwork of rules has emerged in recent months. Some areas have imposed no punishment for people who don’t wear masks as required in public transport, shops and elsewhere while others have imposed high fines.

Merkel consulted Thursday with state governors on how to proceed. She said all except the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt agreed on the minimum fine.

The chancellor also appealed to Germans not to travel to countries and regions deemed “risk areas” — currently the United States and most of the world outside the European Union, as well as some regions inside the EU.

“Wherever it is possible” Germans should stay at home, she said.

Merkel announced that the current free coronavirus tests for travelers returning from non-risk areas would end on Sept. 15 — when all German states have ended summer vacations — and testing then should focus on nursing homes, hospitals, schools, preschools and migrant centers to prevent outbreaks.

People traveling to risk areas still must go into quarantine for 14 days upon their return to Germany unless they test negative — but such tests can only be taken after five days of quarantine.

On Thursday, Germany’s disease control center reported 1,507 new confirmed coronavirus cases, with the average age of people...