Coronavirus: Berlin′s first curfew in 70 years kicks in | Germany| News and in-depth reporting from Berlin and beyond | DW | 10.10.2020

Coronavirus: Berlin′s first curfew in 70 years kicks in | Germany| News and in-depth reporting from Berlin and beyond | DW | 10.10.2020: The German capital has implemented a nighttime curfew in response to a dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases. On the first night of the new regulations the mood was somber in the Friedrichshain district, a virus hot spot.

Berlin's busy nightlife faces a curfew for the first time in more than 70 years. From local Berliners, setting the world to rights over a Pilsner behind the net curtains of an Eckkneipe, a traditional corner pub, to the weekend clubbers partying well beyond sunrise on Sunday, Berlin's anything-goes nightlife has become synonymous with the German capital, especially since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Read more: Berlin nightclub Berghain reopens as art space

But with daily coronavirus cases rapidly increasing, Berlin's laissez-faire nights are over for the time being. All businesses, including bars, restaurants and late-night shops now have to close between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. starting this Saturday until at least October 31. Businesses that violate the curfew can expect fines of up to €5,000 ($5,900).

Bar owner Salama has been serving locals here for 25 years.

"In the current situation, I think it's the right thing to do," he says, collecting the ashtrays from the tables, with "Love Shack" by The B-52s blaring from the sound system inside. But he has concerns about the long-term effects, estimating that he'll lose about 15% of his business due to the curfew.