Lockdown in Germany: The Chancellor expects the tough measures to be extended for another two months.
She said that internally, our editorial team learned.
How long will Germany be in lockdown?
Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke internally about extending the measures.
Statements from the Union parliamentary group meeting confirmed participants of our editorial team.
Update from January 13th
: Chancellor
Angela Merkel
spoke on Tuesday in an internal parliamentary group meeting of the Union about the Corona course of the next few weeks.
In addition to the statements about an extension of the measures (
see first report
), the
CDU politician
is said to have also
commented
on the situation in the
old people's and nursing homes
.
As the
picture
reports, the 66-year-old said that the situation on site “also saddened me very much.” The Chancellor made it clear that the federal government had “theoretically prepared everything” so that the
virus would
disappear from the homes or even at all not get there (corona tests, vaccinations).
But in the end, "a lot of things did not go as ideally as I would have liked".
The associated criticism of the political decisions taken by the government are part of "honesty".
In this context, Merkel is said to have spoken of "incomplete practical implementation" and an "oppressive" situation.
Corona: Focus on nursing homes - 89 percent of Covid deaths in Germany over 70
The protection of the vulnerable groups in the homes continues to be a top priority for politicians.
Because a large number of the more than 41,000 corona deaths in the country can be traced back to residents of these accommodations.
In the management report of the Robert Koch Institute on Tuesday (January 12) it says: "The number of deceased cases was particularly high among those cared for in facilities under sections 23 and 36 IfSG." These facilities include hospitals and homeless shelters as well as the elderly - and nursing homes.
Also worrying: “With reporting week 37, the proportion of outbreaks in old people's and nursing homes increases continuously and significantly.
Over 65,000 cases have been reported in this setting since then.
Outbreaks in this setting are also usually larger. "Since the end of November," the number of cases in nursing homes represents the largest proportion of outbreak situations. "
The fact that residents of
old people's and nursing homes are
particularly at risk is primarily due to their old age.
People who are older than 70 years make up 89 percent of the corona deaths in Germany (an average of 84 years).
Against this background, the Chancellor's drastic words can be understood as a warning - as well as an urgent appeal to improve the situation in old people's and nursing homes.
The fact that
Merkel
apparently does not shirk responsibility ("That is part of being honest") shows how serious it seems to her.
Corona: Merkel makes worrying statement about the possible end of the lockdown - Lindner: "Not responsible"
First report from January 12th
: Berlin - shops closed, restaurants closed, schools closed - and hardly any hope for improvement: Politicians are apparently planning to continue the
lockdown
that
began in November
for many more weeks.
Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) made it clear in a round with Union politicians that it could not be relaxed at the end of January.
She warned in clear words of a new danger from the mutation of the corona virus, which is apparently causing the number of infections to rise sharply in the British Isles.
Merkel reckons internally with a tenfold incidence by Easter: Will the corona lockdown not end for a good two months?
"If we do not manage to keep this British virus off, we will have a tenfold incidence by Easter," Merkel is
quoted
by
Bild
from the
internal group of Union internal politicians
.
That's what she said, participants in our editorial team confirmed.
"It will be tough until Easter," the news agency also quoted a statement by Merkel from the meeting.
Fractional groups tried to make it clear that Merkel had not explicitly spoken of an unchanged extension of the lockdown.
The Chancellor's concern is evidently that the British mutation is no more deadly than the virus that dominates the rest of Europe, but it is much more
contagious
.
In the end, this would lead to significantly more infections and much more stressful clinics.
Merkel's drastic conclusion in the one-hour video conference on Tuesday morning: “We still need eight to ten weeks of tough measures.” Relaxation is only possible
towards Easter
, even with the then warmer weather.
Merkel warns of months of corona lockdown - Vice Chancellor is also preparing for an extension
Merkel has already officially prepared the citizens for tough weeks - most recently on Saturday in her weekly podcast.
The
measures that have now been extended and, in some cases, tightened
by the
federal and state governments,
are drastic, the restrictions severe, but also "absolutely necessary," she said.
Experts see things differently: The virologist Alexander Kekulé, for example, reprimanded a “concrete slab” policy on Monday evening on ARD and even warned of a lockdown “until June or July”, as
can be read
on
Merkur.de
*.
However, he also mentioned alternatives.
However, the federal government has not yet given a specific time horizon for an end to the restrictions.
The Chancellor and Prime Minister
want to reassess the current development of the
pandemic
on January 25
.
Resolutions on how to proceed should be made on February 1st.
Several statements made in the last few days suggest an extension.
Also
Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder
(CSU) had made it clear not to be expected in February with a relaxation of the situation.
He also referred to the British mutation, which is currently leading to skyrocketing case numbers in Great Britain and Ireland.
The “basic motto” for the near future must be “stay at home”, he said on Tuesday.
Corona lockdown: Federal and state governments will meet again at the end of January - Merkel criticism from Bavaria
Likewise,
Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz
(SPD) in the tenor of a further extension of the on Tuesday
corona lockdown
concurred: "It is not said that the stricter lockdown until the end of January
Covid-19
has pushed back so far that we can relax again," said Scholz the
Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung
.
"Whoever promises now, is frivolous and destroys trust." The Vice-Chancellor also referred to the "aggressive
mutations
" of the pathogen.
Scholz also warned urgently "against the mistaken assumption" that the virus is only dangerous for high-risk patients.
Nobody is safe from the
corona risk
.
“We only survived when large parts of the population have been vaccinated.” Isolating certain “vulnerable” groups would lead “astray”, the Vice Chancellor was convinced.
The few countries that have taken this route have "paid bitterly for it and have since turned around".
From Bavaria, however, there was also very direct criticism of Merkel's statement: Söder's deputy
Hubert Aiwanger
(Free Voters) complained on
that “not primarily tough measures” were needed for eight to ten weeks, but “effective measures”.
As an example, he cited the use of
FFP2 masks
"where people outside the family come together" - for example when shopping.
This is exactly what Söder had announced shortly before as the upcoming mandatory measure for Bavaria.
Corona lockdown until Easter?
FDP boss Lindner criticizes Merkel's statement - "not responsible"
Critics include
FDP leader Christian Lindner
and
left
parliamentary group leader Dietmar Bartsch
.
Bartsch warned that there should not be an endless loop and called for a "transparent debate" in the Bundestag.
Lindner made it clear that he considered a prospect of another ten weeks with the current measures “not to be responsible”.
The social and economic damage increased every day.
Instead, he called for a step-by-step plan of how the country could be restarted step by step regionally.
Union faction leader
Ralph Brinkhaus
(CDU), however, did not rule out tougher rules.
If it was necessary, he was in favor of “sharpening” the measures again, said Brinkhaus.
Nobody can say whether the
lockdown
will last “eight, ten or twelve weeks”.
(
cd / fn
) *
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.
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