March 2020-March 2021 – Corona Virus Timeline for the Germany Frankfurt Mission

 I created this for the mission newsletter and thought you might find it interesting.  Unfortunately the vaccine rollout here continues to be very slow.  Germany’s case numbers are on the rise again and health experts are predicting a third wave.  But our mission and the missionaries will make the best of it, just as they have done this past year.   They have found creative ways to share the message of the restored gospel with others. Nothing will stop this work from rolling forward.  

March 2020-March 2021 – Corona Virus Timeline for the Germany Frankfurt Mission

One year ago Germany and the Western world were turned upside down by the COVID-19 Pandemic.  March 18 marks the one-year anniversary of the date missionaries of the Germany Frankfurt Mission were asked to go into quarantine. Here is a summary of the many events that occurred in the mission during this past year.

 March 13 - Missionaries scheduled to return home April 9 were sent home early.

 March 15 - Fifteen senior couples sent home from the mission and an additional 22 couples from the area were sent home

 March 16 - Germany goes into lockdown.  Churches and shops close.  The only stores allowed to stay open were supermarkets, food shops, gas stations, convenience stores and pharmacies.

 March 18 - Missionaries placed in quarantine. Missionaries required to stay in apartments except for exercise, grocery shopping, and walking to the church provided it was in walking distance. Tracting and church meeting attendance prohibited.

 March 20 - First social media training provided by the area to learn how to use social media to invite and teach.  An additional 8 young missionaries were sent home based on health history risk factors. (Others sent 4/15, 5/20)

 April 29 – Facemasks mandatory in public transportation and shops.

 March 17 – Germany implements non-European Union travel ban preventing missionaries from the United States from entering the country.  (All missionaries from the United States that had been scheduled to arrive in the mission between April and November would be reassigned to missions in the U.S.  There were a total of 135 reassigned.)

 March through May

All mission meetings were held using Zoom. Weekly family home evening via Zoom added to keeps spirits up.

 May 5 - First Transfer Day since February. Mission received 11 missionaries that returned to Germany from other missions and were reassigned to this mission. The group of 14 missionaries scheduled to depart on 28 May were sent home early on 5 May.

.June 16 – Mission received 6 missionaries that returned to Switzerland from other missions and were reassigned to our mission. 

 June - Churches were allowed to reopen for Sunday meetings.  Those attending were required to keep their distance and wear masks.  Attendees were required to register before entering. Meeting outside between two different households was permitted allowing missionaries to teach.  Splits were permitted as long as public transportation was not used. First zone conferences were held in person in small groups with social distancing and masks. (First zone conferences in person since February.)

 June 30 President Boyer and family fly home.  Area Seventy Michael Cziesla and his wife Margret serve as interim mission president and companion awaiting arrival of assigned new mission president.

 July 1- Missionaries allowed to use public transportation (wearing masks) and to visit members in their homes.

 Aug 27 – President Hammon and his wife Debbie arrive in Germany after first spending several days in Budapest, Hungary to meet Covid travel restrictions.  Zone conferences held in person in September and October.

 October 15 - Masks become mandatory in crowded places outdoors. 

 October 30 - People asked to stay home and refrain from traveling.  Public transportation use was restricted. Missionaries instructed not to use public transportation for splits.

 November 2 - Germany announces semi-lockdown and reinstitutes many Corona restrictions. Restaurants close and in person meetings become heavily restricted.

 November 13 – Received 11 missionaries from the United States who had quarantined in England for 14 days before flying to Germany.  Also received an elder from Denmark and a sister from Switzerland.  Placed in quarantine 14 days in Frankfurt Temple patron housing before going into the field on November 24.

 November 26, 27 and 28 – Received 27 more U.S. missionaries from England.  After quarantine, joined their companions in the field December 8.

 December 1 – Private gatherings limited to 5 persons from 2 households.

 December – Zone conference held via Zoom

 December 16 - Germany tightens lockdown measures for a third time.  Supermarkets and food stores remain open but all other stores must close.  Hairdressers and barbershops close.

 December 18, 19 – Received 25 U.S. missionaries from England who joined their companions December 23.

 December 20 – Germany bans all passenger flights from United Kingdom as of midnight.  Twenty-four U.S. missionaries in England not able to fly to Germany on December 29 as planned.  Reassigned to missions in England.

 January 5 Germany announces that lockdown begun December 16 will continue

 January 8, 9 – Fourteen U.S. missionaries allowed to fly to Germany from England.  Ten missionaries not permitted to board flights. 

 January 11 -  Only allowed to gather with up to 5 persons from own household and one person from another household (thus restricting missionaries from visiting homes)

 January 13  "Leash rule" in areas where incidence rate exceeds a certain amount.  This means residents must remain within a radius of 15km when leaving their homes.  Nighttime curfews were set in place in many of the German states.

 January 17 - Germany tightens lockdown a third time.  Becomes mandatory to wear medical masks in shops and public transportation.

 January – Zone conferences held via Zoom

 February – Zone conferences held in person.  (First time in person since October.)

 March 1- Hairdressers and barbershops allowed to reopen after eleven-week closure.

 March 8 - Members of two families can meet together with up to 5 individuals. Missionaries can begin visiting and teaching members and friends of the church in their homes again. 

 March 9 Non-essential shops (book shops and florists) may reopen by appointment.

 March 2021– One year anniversary of Covid Pandemic lockdown measures in Germany.