berlin. tonight, germany headed for an easter shutdown. chancellor merkel has announced the most restrictive lockdown yet. life will come to a halt for five days beginning april 1. people are being told to stay home although flying to spain is still an option. also coming up tonight, polls close in israel's election, the fourth in two years. low turnout suggests voters are

fatigued. will the country's vaccine success give prime minister benjamin netanyahu a much-needed boost? and the party is back on at one dutch festival at least, butow is this happening in the middle of a pandemic? it is an experiment on the dance floor. ♪ brent: i am brent goff. to our viewers watching on pbs in the united states and to all of you around the world, welcome. today, people here in germany were told to prepare for the country's toughest coronavirus lockdown since the pandemic began. starting on april 1, most shops will close for five days. easter church services will be canceled. although essential travel is banned within germany, holidays

abroad are allowed in many cases. the measures come after a marathon meeting last night between state and federal leaders. >> by the time they had finally wrapped up, night had turned to morning, energy had given way to exhaustion, and what began as a one month partial lockdown is now nearly half a year long. chancellor angela merkel summed up the seriousness of the situation facing germany. >> we basically have a new pandemic. the mutation from great britain has taken over, which means we have a new virus, of course, of the same kind but with very different properties. it is clearly more lethal, more contagious, and contagious for longer. >> that is why restrictions on public life will be extended until april 18, and gatherings

over easter effectively canceled. >> the easter lockdown will bring everything to a standstill for five consecutive days. it will take the wind out of the sails of the pandemic and prevent new infections. i know it is a great strain for many. many of you hope to go on holiday over easter, but that is a hope we will all have to put on hold. >> not everyone. germans will still be free to flight in search of some sunthea backlash over rules that allow tourists to fly to spain but not to holiday within germany. meanwhile, the aim is to keep schools and childcare centers open with the help of regular testing. -- testing for teachers and pupils. longer term, they are hoping that ingesting some urgency will help in the lockdown.

>> we are in a race to get vaccinated and to feel its effects as soon as possible. for us, there are now two main strategies, caution and flexibility. >> the meeting had growing tensions between the outgoing chancellor and regional leaders, a relationship increasingly more of conflict than consensus. brent: i am joined tonight by the director of the european biometrics institute. he also advised during the pandemic. good to have you on the program. would you have advised the german chancellor last night to extend the lockdown? >> well, my organization has six sites in five different european countries. germany has and still has the

lightest of all lockdowns. so i think a long way to go to really fight this pandemic. as angela merkel directly said -- correctly said, we have a new kind of pandemic here. this variant is way tougher to tackle. these measures are not sufficient. brent: what about the five day shutdown over easter? is that enough to make a difference? particularly if we are dealing with a new variant? >> no, ion't think so. it is way too short. the whole program needs to have much more foresight, that you really try to bring down the virus in way tougher ways and

having also a program which combines faster vaccination, which will unfortunately still take time, more testing, especially rapid antigen testing combined with digitalization. these results would go directly to local public health authorities for contact tracing and someone. but you need to do more genome surveillance. you also need to think globally. there are still a lot of other untries in europe and the world which are still creating a lot of new variants. we need to work everywhere globally together to fight this pandemic. brent: what you are advocating is exactly what we have been hearing from the german chancellor now for at least half a year. chanceor merkel wanted a hard lockdown. although back in the beginning -- all the way back in the

beginning of november. what is going on? is she unable to convince the regional leaders that her plan is the best scientific plan, or is there something else at play here? >> i can't tell. but i think some politicians are suffering from optimism. they think, oh, it will not be as bad as people say. and then they find out it is as bad as people say. and then, ok, we need to pull a little bit. but it will not be as bad as we think sublette let us not do too much. -- think, so let us not do too much. in britain, the numbers are way lower than in germany. there are strict lockdown decisions until may. brent: the vaccination role out there has been much more

successful -- rollout there has been much more successful than here. we appreciate yo insights tonight. thank you. >> good evening. brent: the european union prides itself on its open borders between member states, but with infection rates on the rise across the continent, freedom of travel is being restricted as governments try to slow the spread of the coronavirus. germany now requires commuters from poland to get tested at the border, a time-consuming and expensive process. tonight, we follow one polish construction worker from one border town on his long way to work. >> like thousands of poles living near the border, rafael commutes to germany from work every day. but with the coronavirus infection rate much higher in his home country, he and his polish colleagues now need to pass a rapid results test at the border twice a week. they also need to identify

themselves with a so-called commuter pass. here is your past. it has been issued by the german company that has hired you. always carry it with you and also your most recent test results. the queue in front of the test site is long, delaying the commuters. rafael works as a foreman and has to instruct his workers over the phone as he waits his turn. we need to do two coronavirus tests a week. i don't know what this means in terms of costs. i might have to pay for it all myself. before taking the test, the builders have to fill out a lengthy form by hand. bureaucracy does nothing to speed up the process.

finally, it is rafael turn. that's rafael -- finally, it is rafael's turn. he is charged. that information does not seem to have reached the test center. i'm relieved that the test was negative and i can go to work, but soon i will have to queue up again for hours. all of this time wasted and money spent. rafael will be two hours late for work. he and his colleagues might have to work overtime today. brent: all right. here is a roundup of the stories making headlines around the world. the united kingdom has held a minute of silence in london and across the nation to remember the 126,000 people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic.

the u.k. is the worst affected european country and has the world's fifth highest recorded covid-19 death toll. the united states has pledged to rebuild and revitalize nato after four years of tension under the trump administration. secretary of state antony blinken told phelan foreign minister's desk told fellow -- told fellow foreign ministers that they could emerge stronger despite current disputes in the european alliance. the chinese ambassador in berlin complaining about sanctions posed on its politicians and scientists, calling them "unacceptable." china was hit by european union sanctions on monday for civil rights abuses against the country's uyghurs minority. beijing responded by sanctioning a number of european lawmakers. polls have just closed on today's election in israel. it was the fourth in two years. the sign is that turnout has

been low. israelis faced a choice between regimen netanyahu and those who seek to oust him. netanyahu is running despite spe standing trial on corruption charges. it looks like the polls will lead to a shaky coalition, that is if one can be formed at all. let's go now to our correspondent who is following the elections for us in jerusalem. the polling stations have closed only a few moments ago. what do we know? >> well, this is of course the moment everyone is waiting for now. the three main broadcasters, the israeli tv channels, have now published the first exit polls. these are exit polls. i have to stress that because they will change most likely over the course of the night and will be updated accordingly, and then voting begins. what is striking is that all of

them, and it was kind of expected, give mr. netanyahu's party a lead he is the strongest party suspected in polling with two stations giving him 31 seats. i have to stress that in israel, it is counted in seats a party or coalition has to get a certain number of seats. so we have 31 to 33 seats and the anti-yahoo! camp, the largest the anti-benjamin netanyahu camp, the largest -- so we have 31 to 33 seats and then the anti-benjamin netanyahu camp. two camps. one is the pro netanyahu. the smaller parties have already said they will be in a coalition or going into a coalition with benjamin netanyahu and those who said they are the anti-netanyahu

cap. some of them left it open. -- camp. some of them left it open. all of the exit polls are suggesting a narrow government for a coalition possible for benjamin netanyahu with 61 seats. brent: that is something that has been expected, but it does not rule out the possibility that benjamin netanyahu may not be able to construct a new coalition government as has been the case this time. tania: absolutely. first of all, these are exit polls. if it is such a razor thin, actually, majority, then we really have to look now at how these figures will develop overnight. he definitely needs -- i mean, we are talking about a party that would go together with two ultraorthodox parties and a far

right extremist party that could also join such a coalition, and then we are looking at one of the parties that has actually said they are the anti-netanyahu camp. he could appear to be the kingmaker because mr. netanyahu needs these seats. they are coming in between six to seven seats. only then, he would come up to the 61 seats he needs. but again, it is a very narrow government. brent: as you say, the stars really have to come into alignment for benjamin netanyahu to form a government rather easily. what happens if we have another stalemate? i hate to ask you this, but we have to. do you think we could be looking at a fifth election within two or three years? tania: well, i think if you put this to israelis, i think this is what they are mostly also concerned about or afraid about.

i talked to a lot of people here recently. they said we might see another election in a couple of months time if this does not work out. voter turnout was rather low compared to other elections. maybe people have also thought, what can we do? we have to go on and vote and vote and nothing will really change. it depends on which camp or party you are supporting. but this is not yet done. these are the first exit polls. we really need to wait. the vote count starts now, and that could be delayed because of the pandemic and pandemic related precautions that have been taking course over the day. a lot of people had to vote at other polling stations if you are in quarantine or a covid-19 patient so we will have to wait and see. brent: patience is the word we need tonight. tania, as always, thank you.

huge swathes of eastern austlia remain under floodwater after a week of relentless rain. emergency services which were last year battling unprecedented brush fires are now rescuing residents from inundated homes. new hazards are emerging with dangerous debris lurking in the floodwaters. >> torrential rains have been unstoppable in australia's east. bridges, roads, cars, and buildings are surrounded by water. the flooding has forced tens of thousands of people from their homes. rescue efforts are underway to assist those left behind. >> hello. is anybody home? raheela: days of heavy rain have caused bank levels to rise, making recovery efforts all the more difficult. >> dangerous with regards to

coming up on the boats. tv screens, couches, things like that have the waterways dangerous at this point in time. raheela: it seems boats are the only options at this time to stray those stranded. -- save those stranded. >> people around us not so lucky. a couple of floors have gone under and a couple neighbors have lost their fro yards. i am lucky. raheela: several areas have been declared disaster zones with floods and severe weather warnings issued from southeast queensland to the border of victoria. and the cost of the damage is already being felt. >> i will lose a fair bit because if the water stays, this will drop. if the water gets off quickly, that is fine. but down in the other section over there, it takes a while.

so i will end up losing the fruit there and probably some trees too. raheela: they are offering funds for the displaced and warning residents to be on high alert. >> overnight, unfortunately, some weather conditions have worsened. those weather conditions are likely to worsen during the day so many communities will experience increasing heavy rainfall. as we advised yesterday, about 18,000 people have been evacuated. regrettably, we have warnings now for an additional 15,000 people that may need to be evacuated. raheela: while there have been no lives lost, rebuilding the homes andusinesses destroyed in this disaster will come at the highest cost. brent: we are here on more headlines now from around the world. in bangladesh, investigators are looking into what caused a massive fire that swept through a refugee camp. the un's says at least 15 people died and more than 560 were injured.

tens of thousands have left homeless. nearly a million refugees live in camps in the region. the republic of congo's veteran president has been reelected with more than 88% about. -- of the vote. he has been in power for more than 36 years. the vote was boycotted by main opposition and overshadowed by the death of his only major rival from covid-19. u.s. president joe biden has called for a ban on assault weapons and tighter gun control measures after the shooting of a supermarket in the u.s. state of colorado. 10 people including a police officer were killed. an injured suspect has been detained. in the u.s., the jury has been selected for the george floyd murder trial. floyd's death at the hands of a police officer in may of last year sparked nationwide protests for racial justice and against police brutality. the trial of the former minneapolis police officer

charged with his murder is due to start on monday. a little over five years ago, the brussels airport bombings devastated the lives of many travelers, and beatrice -- including beatrice. the then 17-year-old was hit by the blast and underwent a double amputation below her knees. but she has bounced back from this tragedy and is giving up for her first paralympic games as an equestrian athlete. >> training for tokyo. she is happiest on horseback and began competing in dressage at the age of 12. soon, she will be heading to japan to take part in her first paralympic games. back in 2016, she was at brussels airport when a suicide bomber set up is explosives right next to her, resulting injuries caused her to lose both of her legs below the knees. she bow back and was competing

on horseback just a year later, now writing for team usa. -- riding for team usa. her determination is on show in the gym, where she works tirelessly. i want to maintain my autonomy as much as possible because it helps the horses and me. just to get into my car myself and dismantle my chair, i need to be in good shape so exercising is very. >> last one here. up, up. i gotten. -- i got you. >> those working with her appreciate her drive and commitment. >> she loves it in here. she knows how to work hard. but things add up, especially with some of the stuff she deals with. it adds up so her day can be a lot longer than one of our days. if she does a little bit too much, she feels a little more. >> one thing that could help her be even more autonomous is a new

custom electronic exoskeleton that will enable her to walk independently. to be ab toalk must sit down, ge up, it will help me a lot in life. i will be able, for example, to put gasoline in my car, do things for which i usually have to call someone. it will give me freedom in the life i have lost the attacks. still, riding on her horse will presumably remain her priority as she goefor gold in tokyo. brent: wish her luck. bundesliga club byron the recusing fired their coach after a poor run of form where they claimed three league wins this year and got knocked out of both of the german cup and europa league. they managed fourth and fifth place finishes in the

bundesliga. they were in the second spot earlier this season but now are in six, losing 3-0 in his last match in charge this sunday. another coach will take over until the end of the season. when was the last time you went to a concert or found yourself in a crowd of hundreds of people? in one dutch city, for one weekend, people had the chance to forget all about the coronavirus pandemic. they took part in a test event run by an organization that wants to find out how we can best return to some sort of normality, standing shoulder to shoulder, while staying safe. >> arm in arm, face to face, just one weekend in one part in one dutch city. people danced like there was no one watching. >> it feels like before corona, like immediately. >> in fact, plenty of people are

watching. doctors, government officials, and event organizers in initiative called field lab. this is more than a concert. it is part of a series of scientific and social experiments. they aim to see how people interact when allowed some freedom from coronavirus restrictions. everyone here agreed to wear trackers so all of their moves at the concert can be recorded. >> a little bit weird. >> but we don't care. >> no. >> they all tested negative to get in and will take another test five days after the event. if anyone tests positive, contacts can be traced. a doctor in a covid ward knows what is at stake here and is confident the risks are minimal. >> of you when he was negative -- everyone here is negative, so that is ushering. >> partiers are being observed in their natural habitat. most people are not wearing tasks, and the experiment requires the experts do not

interfere. her boss is one of the doctors working with the field lab project and admits to being a little nervous. >> people are careful at the beginning, and during the party, they will be very much less careful. so we want to have the way they party usually because otherwise, all the data we would have would be senseless. >> field lab's peter says he is confident the data will prove with precautions event sizes can be safely expanded. >> i think we can prove that we really can increase the capacity of visitors. maybe in steps, maybe starting with 50%, going to 70% or 80%, and in the end our goal is to have 100%. >> i hope for everyone in the industry. it has been superhard. that was somehow get out of this as soon as possible. >> but for now, the party is over. >> we do this to allow more or get more possibilities in the future.

but at this time, people really should stick to the rules outside of this event. >> in other words, what happens here stays here. brent: for now at least. after a short break, i will be back to take you through "the day." tonight, building transatlantic ties. could a german-russian pipeline happened? i will be back -- happen? i will be back. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] ♪

>> it is 9:00 p.m. in paris. you're watching france 24. our top story at this hour. the polls have closed in israel. turn up down for the nation's fourth vote in just two years. our corspondent in jerusalem brings you exit polling. >> voting wrapping up in israel. an