Icon: enlarge
In Tübingen the incidence has been below 50 for several weeks
Photo: EIBNER / DROFITSCH / imago images / Eibner
The mayors of Rostock, Münster and Tübingen have called for a drastic rethink when imposing corona measures and have criticized the approach of the federal and state governments.
According to a strategy paper, they want to achieve self-determined easing for municipalities with low numbers of corona cases.
This should be possible where "where the pandemic is demonstrably well under control and there are concepts for responsible openings," says the letter that SPIEGEL has received.
In all three cities there have been comparatively few new infections with the corona virus for weeks.
In the Tübingen district, the 7-day incidence was most recently 39.4, in Münster 30.8 and in Rostock 25.8.
"Nevertheless, we are stuck in lockdown because we are only allowed to adopt tightening measures on site, but not deviations or loosening of the requirements of the federal states," the letter continues.
That should change.
The mayors also name specific measures that should curb the infection process in the long term:
People should therefore
be able
to test themselves
freely
- a visit to the hairdresser would only be allowed with a negative result.
"With the new rapid tests for self-application, an instrument is available that would allow the use of restaurants, hotels, culture, sports and retail for a precisely defined period of time without taking a relevant risk of infection," says the concept.
According to Mayor Boris Palmer, rapid test stations have already been installed in the city center of Tübingen, which people can use free of charge.
"Our cities are strong enough to build the necessary infrastructure quickly, if only we are allowed to," said the mayor.
There
is also still
room
for significant improvement in
contact tracking
.
So far, the digital possibilities are far from exhausted: "If the federal government does not want to develop a Corona app that really makes a contribution to tracking contacts, it should at least pave the way for municipal solutions," the letter says.
One example is the “Luca” app, which, according to Mayor Claus Ruhe Madsen, is to be used in a pilot project in Rostock.
A
traffic light regulation
is intended to replace the current concept of the federal and state governments, in which measures are imposed for entire federal states.
Instead, it should be decided at the municipal level where easing makes sense.
The incidence value should not only be looked at - factors such as the number of tests carried out, the occupancy of the intensive care beds and hospitalizations as well as the vaccination rate of the vulnerable groups should be taken into account.
The model is already being used in Rostock.
The letter also makes it clear that the mayors apparently feel that the previous approach by the federal and state governments has in part been ignored.
"We appeal to the federal and state governments to trust the competence and personal responsibility of the local level more than before," the mayors write.
Municipalities and districts that were in the green area should be given the right to develop opening concepts and submit them to the respective state health office for approval.
If the number of infections rose as a result, the easing would have to be withdrawn.
Here, too, the Lord Mayors rely on personal responsibility: "If a green municipality changes to the yellow phase as a result, it has to make adjustments, if it turns red, the local concepts become ineffective." With this approach, one relies on the responsible local citizen.
Not only the municipalities, but also the people themselves would be given more responsibility with the concept.
Icon: The mirror
