Earlier this month a second wave of lockdowns were implemented across much of Europe.
The goal was to reign in rocketing rates of Covid-19, but a secondary concern in the minds of policymakers was the impending holiday season.
While those lockdowns have worked to put a cap on exponential rates of infection, it hasn't been enough to allow Christmas to be celebrated as usual.
So European governments are splitting the difference, and choosing to temporarily relax restrictions instead.
Germany correspondent Thomas Sparrow has more.
