According to a report, air traffic to Germany could soon be restricted because of the corona mutations.
The finance ministers approve Corona aid for airports.
The
corona lockdown
in Germany seems to be working - the number of cases is currently falling.
Chancellor Angela Merkel *
and the government are discussing travel restrictions from areas of change
(see update from January 28, 10:56 a.m. and 10:04 a.m.)
.
A majority of the finance ministers of the federal states vote in favor of Corona aid for German airports
(see update from January 28, 12.55 p.m.)
.
This
news ticker
is updated regularly.
Update from January 28, 12.55 p.m.:
The finance ministers of the federal states approved by a large majority
Corona aid for German airports
.
The
German press agency
learned this
from participants in the
finance ministers' conference on Thursday
.
The proposal goes back to
Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuber
(CSU) and provides for funding from the federal and state levels in equal proportions.
The corona aid provides for an amount of
one billion euros
.
Airport assistance already provided should be taken into account.
According to the
industry association ADV
, the situation at the airports is
very tense
due to the
corona pandemic
.
According to this, at least every fourth job is threatened, and several operating companies are fighting for survival.
The expected loss for 2020 and 2021 is put at three billion euros.
Entry ban for countries with corona mutations: Horst Seehofer now comments on projects
Update from January 28, 10:56 a.m.:
After several media reports
(see update from January 28, 7:11 a.m.)
Interior Minister
Horst Seehofer
(CDU)
has now
commented
on his plans.
As dpa and AFP report, the federal government wants to agree on an extensive
entry ban
from countries with a high distribution of new corona variants by
this Friday (January 29)
.
For the time being, Germany is refraining from a solution at EU level.
The proposed
travel restrictions
focus on mutation areas such as Portugal, Great Britain, South Africa and Brazil.
Entry from these states should be prohibited.
It is currently being clarified which exceptions will be allowed.
"I don't want to speculate about that now," said Seehofer.
It is "about the big goal" to contain and prevent the entry of a highly infectious virus into Germany.
According to a recent survey from the
ZDF Politbarometer
, 57 percent of those questioned are in favor of border closings between EU countries for travel.
40 percent against.
Corona lockdown: step-by-step plan from Schleswig-Holstein - approval from virologist Streeck
+
Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) is fighting the corona pandemic - Schleswig-Holstein makes a proposal for a step-by-step plan out of the lockdown.
© Bernd von Jutrczenka / dpa
Update from January 28, 10:04 a.m.:
The federal government is apparently planning
to restrict
air traffic from high-risk areas
to Germany in the
near future
.
This is reported by the
picture
.
Transport flights with important goods should be excluded.
At the request of the cabinet, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer should draw up an order and send it to the other departments by Friday.
The
travel restrictions
are intended to
curb
the spread of the
corona mutations
(see update from January 27, 9:19 p.m.)
.
The plan may be implemented as soon as next week.
In addition to stricter restrictions, strategies are also being discussed on how a way out of the
corona lockdown
could succeed.
At the beginning of the week,
Schleswig-Holstein
presented a “perspective plan” for the federal state in the north.
Virologist Hendrik Streeck welcomes these suggestions: "I found what Schleswig-Holstein proposed very good," he said on Wednesday on the talk show "Maischberger".
There are nuances that can be discussed, but a structure, a step-by-step plan is important.
“People can adjust to it.
I think that's a good long-term strategy. "
Important
cornerstones of the plan
by Prime Minister Daniel Günther (CDU): (Detailed plan on the website of the State of Schleswig-Holstein)
Incidence value is over 100:
No change in measures
The incidence
value is
stable below 100 for seven days: a
maximum of five people from two households are allowed to meet, limited regular operation in daycare centers, grades 1 to 6 at the schools start changing lessons, hairdressers can reopen
The incidence value is stable below 50 for seven days:
day-care centers are in regular operation, grades 1-6 have face-to-face classes, grades 7-13 take alternating classes, final grades have face-to-face operations, practical courses are permitted at universities, retail shops can open with restrictions, other body-friendly services and restaurants can be offered open with conditions
The incidence value is stable below 50 for 21 days:
Hotels, holiday apartments and campsites can also resume operations for tourist purposes - using corona rapid tests, fitness studios with capacity and usage limits are allowed to open, the limit on the obligation to notify events of religious communities is being raised
The incidence value is stable below 35 for seven days:
up to ten people from several households are allowed to meet, schools switch completely to regular operations, universities can hold face-to-face courses in cohorts, libraries open subject to hygiene requirements, bars and pubs are allowed to open with hygiene concepts, excursion boats are allowed to depart, The number of participants for religious events will be increased
Corona lockdown in Germany: Discussion about entry bans from high-risk areas
Update from January 28th, 7.11 a.m
.: The proposed
entry bans
from
high-risk areas
(see previous update)
should not apply to German citizens.
This is reported by the
AFP
news
agency
, citing a
Spiegel
report.
A decision by the Federal Cabinet on the subject should be
made on Friday,
according to information from
Spiegel
and
Bild
.
Chancellor
Angela Merkel (CDU)
had already
recommended
stricter rules for
vacation travel
on Tuesday
.
Several Union politicians joined in on Wednesday.
"High-risk areas" are countries where the
incidence value
is more than
200
new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days.
Countries with a particular spread of the highly contagious
virus mutants
are also listed.
The entire list can be found on the website of the
Robert Koch Institute (RKI)
.
Because of corona easing?
According to Merkel's deliberations - the first prime minister indicates an extension
Update January 27, 21:19:
The
Federal Government
is planning, according to information provided by the
mirror
entry bans
from several countries with
high spread of coronavirus mutations.
A template for a corresponding regulation is currently being
coordinated between the departments.
A spokesman for the Federal Ministry of the Interior confirmed to the German Press Agency that a corresponding decision is currently being voted on.
According to
Spiegel
information, entry and transport bans could currently apply to
Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa,
Brazil
and
Portugal
.
Soon, however, countries like
Denmark
or the
Netherlands could also be
affected.
At the moment not all details about the definition of the "mutation areas" have been worked out.
Nevertheless,
a decision
could probably be made on
Friday
.
In some departments, however, there are still concerns.
Exceptions would only
count
for
commuters and diplomats
in the event of enforcement
.
Freight traffic should also remain unaffected.
German nationals
who come from one of these areas can
also enter the country
.
Corona lockdown in Germany: First prime ministers call for vaccination summits
Update from January 27, 8:43 p.m.:
Whether there will be
easing
from mid-February
or an
extension of the lockdown
is not yet in sight.
This decision will depend not only on the
incidence values
but also on the
progress of the vaccinations
.
But the latter point is a headache.
Not all prime ministers are satisfied with the state of affairs.
The Rhineland-Palatinate Prime Minister
Malu Dreyer
(SPD) therefore wants a
vaccination summit
.
"
Vaccination roads are largely empty
everywhere in
Germany
because the promised vaccines are not delivered as promised," Dreyer told
Spiegel
on Wednesday
.
Binding
agreements on the delivery of the corona vaccines
should be made at the summit
.
"We need a clear and transparent vaccine plan for the coming months," said Dreyer.
Before that, Brandenburg's Prime Minister
Dietmar Woidke
(SPD)
had also called for
a vaccination summit from the
federal government, states and business representatives
- if possible before the end of next week, Woidke wrote on Wednesday to the chairman of the Prime Minister's
Conference
, Berlin's Governing Mayor
Michael Müller
(SPD).
The postponement of vaccination appointments creates great uncertainty.
Lockdown extension instead of easing: First federal state continues to suggest a strict course
Update from January 27th, 7:01 pm:
"Now is not the time to relax".
Hamburg's Mayor
Peter Tschentscher
(SPD) considers an
extension of the current corona lockdown
to be likely.
“I assume that the lockdown must continue beyond February 14,” said the SPD politician on Wednesday.
The number of infections has not yet decreased sufficiently.
"There
shouldn't be
an
automatic mechanism for removing restrictions
," he explained.
The new
virus mutations
are preparing the prime minister
.
The risks that emanate from these must first be able to be assessed.
“An opening concept can only be decided on this basis.” When deciding on the point in time and the sequence of steps for the loosening,
further indicators in
addition to the
7-day incidence
would have to be
included.
Tschentscher cited the
R-value
, the number of inpatient Covid-19 patients, the
utilization of the intensive care units
and the progress of the vaccinations
as examples
.
The next federal state holds out the prospect of easing - Merkel's confidante urges caution
Update from January 27, 3:50 p.m.:
Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier
(CDU) warns of a public debate about easing the corona measures.
It would be the "wrong signal" to speculate publicly about easing and to set expectations that make fighting the pandemic more difficult, said Altmaier, who is considered a Merkel confidante, on Wednesday in Berlin at the presentation of the annual economic report.
There are still around 15,000 new infections a day on average.
He urged patience.
The background to this is that
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig
(SPD)
has announced the prospect of
first easing of the currently strict
Corona protective precautions
under certain conditions.
If there are permanently fewer than 100 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in one week,
schools and daycare centers
should
first open more strongly again
.
Schwesig said on Wednesday in the state parliament in Schwerin that opening up service providers such as hairdressers could also be considered.
Baden-Württemberg: Schools and daycare centers remain closed - Corona mutation in Freiburg daycare center
Update from January 27, 3:30 p.m.:
The
Baden-Württemberg state government
will
not open
the
elementary schools and daycare centers soon
.
A press conference to inform about the openings was canceled at short notice on Wednesday.
The reason is the occurrence of a
mutated virus variant in a day care center in Freiburg
.
Prime Minister
Winfried Kretschmann
(Greens) announced on Tuesday that if the infection situation remained the same, a decision would be made to open primary schools and daycare centers.
In the Freiburg daycare center,
two cases of the variant have
already been
confirmed, said a government spokesman.
21 other corona infections have been found and are now being checked for the variant.
The decision to open daycare centers and primary schools must therefore be postponed.
Education Minister Susanne Eisenmann
had previously
told
the
time
that she had a different opinion than
Chancellor Angela Merkel
on “whether all schools should be closed across the board”.
It is to be prevented that the young generation has to pay for the school closings.
Kretschmann
had a similar story
on Tuesday evening in the
ZDF program "Markus Lanz"
voiced.
Armin Laschet rejects: long-term corona strategy as "wrong approach"
Update from January 27, 2:11 p.m.:
North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister
Armin Laschet
(CDU) has
clearly rejected
the demands for a long-term
corona
plan.
"Nobody can say today what will be opened or closed in May, June and July," said
Laschet
on Wednesday in front of the Düsseldorf state parliament.
Especially with a view to the constantly changing
vaccination situation
and
virus mutations
, it is difficult to
predict
the future.
"These are all uncertainties that make it impossible to give the impression that today, on January 27th, you know what the virus situation will be in Germany on May 27th".
A corona long-term plan is the "wrong approach".
In addition, the
CDU party chairman
stated that "it is not the time to talk about a time for the opening, but it is good to clarify the criteria in which order what will take place."
Update from January 27, 11.50 a.m.:
First wave, second wave, possibly even more corona waves?
To illustrate the danger, politicians and experts like to speak and warn of the next corona wave of new infections.
North Rhine-Westphalia Prime Minister
Armin Laschet
now used this image again in the state parliament.
“We absolutely have to prevent a third wave from occurring,” the dpa quotes him.
In a speech in the state parliament, Laschet stated that the second wave was already more violent than the first.
He has already rejected
far-reaching
easing
in speeches in recent days.
“There will be no premature openings that could endanger what has been achieved,” Laschet emphasized again.
Especially with regard to the mutated virus, a third wave would hit the country even more violently, fears the new CDU chairman.
Merkel on lockdown: is she planning to relax in secret?
Update January 27, 10:12:
". We are slipped the thing" This sentence, which
Chancellor Angela Merkel
is alleged to have said in an internal switching, recently made the rounds.
Now
Markus Söder
, Prime Minister of Bavaria,
responded
to
Bild Live
and surprisingly drew a completely different conclusion: “I cannot confirm the sentence because I was not in this column.
(...) But one thing I know is that, on the contrary, we have stabilized the situation enormously at the moment. ”The corona numbers, also in Bavaria, went down.
"That means that the current measures are working, but there is no reason to give the all-clear, because conversely the
mutation
is a serious, big challenge."
Because of the falling number of infections, calls for
the measures
to be
relaxed are getting a
little louder.
Some parties and experts have been calling for at least long-term strategies for a long time.
As
Bild
claims to have learned, Merkel is preparing a step-by-step easing plan, but only with confidants from the closest circle.
If this is true, it is not uncommon for Merkel to be afraid that the plans will be leaked to the public.
She usually prefers to have everything clearly arranged before plans are made public.
But apparently not all countries are currently involved in such considerations.
So there is
a real
risk that the
prime ministers
would not support a finished easing plan.
Schleswig-Holstein, for example, already presented its own plans on Tuesday
(see initial report)
.
Corona in Germany: Demands that the Bundeswehr must support more in the country
In public,
Chancellor Merkel
stressed
at all times that an incidence value below 50 would have to be reached in order to be able to follow up contacts again before far-reaching easing can be decided.
But in 2020 a value of 50 was often critical and the health authorities were always at their limit.
Not only for their support, for example, the FDP is calling for the Bundeswehr to be more involved.
Defense Minister *
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer
commented on this in the ZDF “Morgenmagazin”.
Why isn't the Bundeswehr helping everywhere yet?
"At the moment it is because too little is being requested," said the CDU * politician.
The constitution forbids soldiers from sending themselves into action.
Cities and municipalities would have to request support.
“That's what I'm promoting,” said Kramp-Karrenbauer.
According to the minister, it is difficult to determine why there are still too few inquiries.
The municipalities often worry that the aid would cost money.
Kramp-Karrenbauer therefore emphasized in the interview that “the
Bundeswehr will
not issue any bills”.
Corona lockdown in Germany: Discussion about travel restrictions
First report from January 26th:
Berlin / Munich - Although the
corona numbers are
currently
falling
in
Germany
, concerns about another worsening of the situation remain.
Because of the
virus mutations
from
Great Britain
,
South Africa
or
Brazil
, the federal government does not want to give the all-clear
too
quickly.
Chancellor Angela Merkel
continues to take strict
measures
to
contain
the
corona pandemic
*
.
Merkel apparently wants to
introduce
travel restrictions
.
On Tuesday, according to participants at a meeting of the CDU / CSU parliamentary group, the Chancellor said: "Everyone sees that it is not the hour in which we are traveling now."
According to information from the
AFP
news
agency
, Merkel suggested
“certain precautions at the border”
.
Federal Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer
therefore went one step further.
He would like to
greatly minimize
air traffic
and
bring it
"to almost zero"
.
Corona in Germany: Merkel wants to severely restrict cross-border travel
Meeting participants also stated that Merkel had expressed
her lack of understanding of ongoing
cross-border travel
to
her
group
.
Especially tourist trips to regions with
high incidence values
and areas in which the highly contagious
corona mutations
occur frequently are a thorn in the side of the Chancellor.
Especially since the corona situation in Germany has not eased for a long time.
Merkel knows that the strict measures hit many people hard.
"We ask a lot from the citizens,"
she was quoted by participants in the group meeting.
Corona in Germany: Virologist Ciesek calls for European action against mutations
Not only Merkel sees the control of travel as an approach to get the highly contagious
corona mutations
under control.
The Frankfurt
virologist Sandra Ciesek
called on NDR Podcast "coronavirus Update" joint action by
Europe
, "because we do not live isolated on an island." The mutation in
the UK
could be due to the close proximity to the British Isles and so many contacts and different traffic routes hardly stop.
The spread is only to be slowed down.
In contrast, the variants from
South Africa
and
Brazil could be
better controlled.
According to Ciesek, these are hardly widespread in Germany.
All cases are "imported", said Ciesek.
According to the virologist, the corona mutations were only introduced via airports: "If you consistently test, follow up and are in quarantine, I think you have a chance that you can contain it for a while."
Corona in Germany: Schleswig-Holstein brings easing plan into play
According to
Prime Minister
Daniel Günther,
Schleswig-Holstein
has
developed a "perspective plan".
The CDU politician and his black-green-yellow
national coalition
brought a graduated
easing
plan into play in the event of an improvement in the corona situation in the coming months.
This provides for
four levels
, which are based on the incidence
levels
100, 50 and 35.
The situation in
intensive care units
,
vaccination rates
and epidemiological factors such as the possible spread of corona mutations also play a role in the implementation.
In addition, how long the
incidence
values are consistently achieved determines whether the next stage of the relaxation plan is activated.
(kh with AFP) * Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editorial network.
List of rubric lists: © Bernd von Jutrczenka / dpa