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The Bavarian Prime Minister and CSU leader Markus Söder
Photo: Peter Kneffel / dpa
The corona numbers are skyrocketing in more and more regions in Bavaria, and there has even been a curfew in Berchtesgadener Land since Tuesday.
Against this background, Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder has now appealed to be more serious in the fight against Corona.
"I do not want to propagate an apocalyptic mood, but also no naive optimism," said Söder in an unscheduled government statement before the Bavarian state parliament.
The rapidly increasing numbers of infections would show the seriousness of the situation: "We are in danger of getting out of control in Germany."
With regard to the situation in Berchtesgaden, he said a lockdown could be the "last resort".
Söder warns of a possible lockdown
A complete or partial lockdown is closer than many believe.
The second wave after the first outbreak of the corona pandemic in spring is now here.
"We are facing exhausting weeks", said Söder, "again, unfortunately".
Söder demanded more mutual respect and solidarity from the citizens.
The measures to contain the coronavirus should not be understood as rules of authority: "The current restrictions serve to protect everyone, so I also believe that they are justified."
Söder justified fines for offenses against the corona measures.
They are not a tribulation, but necessary: "We must protect the sensible from the unreasonable."
The speech in the Bavarian state parliament was Söders' third government declaration since the beginning of the corona pandemic.
With the government declaration, Söder is also reacting to the sharp rise in corona numbers in Bavaria.
Recently, more and more regions in Bavaria had exceeded critical incidence values of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days.
It threatens to get out of hand in Germany. "
Markus Söder
According to Söder, 23 areas are currently above the value of 35 new infections, 34 above 50 and 8 even above the 100 value.
One area, the Berchtesgadener Land district, is even above the peak of 200 new infections in the past seven days - a nationwide negative record.
Bavaria's first curfew in Berchtesgadener Land
In the Berchtesgadener Land, strict exit restrictions have been in place since Tuesday afternoon, the first in Bavaria to this extent.
Leaving one's own home is only allowed if there are valid reasons.
The rules initially apply for 14 days.
Already on Wednesday morning, Söder called for tightened measures in the fight against the corona crisis in the ZDF "Morgenmagazin".
There must be a "national effort", in addition to the many regional solutions, there must also be a national pandemic plan.
In coping with the pandemic, Germany currently has not a logistical problem, but a "political-mental" problem: "For months the topic has been talked down, talked down, it is talked about."
The CSU politician had recently repeatedly campaigned for more competencies for the federal government in infection protection.
On Monday Söder had said: "I am a staunch federalist, but I believe that federalism is increasingly reaching its limits."
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mrc / dpa