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Closed cinema in Essen (archive image): Companies particularly affected by the corona measures should continue to receive state aid
Photo: Rupert Oberh ‰ user / imago images / Rupert Oberh ‰ user
The Corona economic aid will be extended by three months until the end of 2021.
That said Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier (CDU) on Tuesday evening after the Corona summit of the federal and state governments.
Vaccination remains the central key for the economy, according to Altmaier.
"Each additional vaccination protects life and health, but also our economy."
In the decision of the Prime Minister's Conference for the Corona summit, the bridging aid is named as an example.
So far, they run until the end of September - and are now to be extended.
As part of this aid, companies that have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic can have a large part of their fixed costs reimbursed.
"The federal states are asking the federal government to also extend the easier access to short-time working allowance," says the resolution of the conference of ministers of the ministers.
However, according to participants at the summit, Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) said that she still had to enforce this in the Union parliamentary group in the Bundestag.
Dispute over free tests
The retail trade association HDE welcomed the announcements: "The federal and state governments must now quickly implement the decisions taken."
In order to prevent infections in offices and factories, the existing measures of the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance are to be adapted to the current situation and extended.
Companies must continue to have hygiene concepts and offer their employees free tests.
The state itself, however, wants to impose the costs of rapid tests on unvaccinated persons from October 11th.
The Federation of German Employers' Associations sees this as a contradiction.
»If the state withdraws from financing the free corona tests, the employers' mandatory test offer must also end.
The state must not unilaterally pass the cost of tests on to employers, ”said a statement from the umbrella organization.
The corresponding regulation in the Corona Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance must expire no later than October 11th.
Hans Peter Wollseifer, President of the Central Association of German Skilled Crafts, made a similar statement: »Test offers can certainly be maintained in the companies.
However, they cannot be expected to continue to bear the full costs of this offer. "
clh / Reuters
