A round of table, for a new turn of the screw?
Tuesday, November 30, Angela Merkel, her successor Olaf Scholz and the heads of German regions are scheduled to meet, to discuss the virulent resurgence of Covid-19 in Germany, while the largest European economy records new infection records every day , despite the application of additional measures for a little over a week.
Ten days ago Angela Merkel imposed the so-called “2G” rule throughout the country, thus limiting access to places open to the public for “geimpfte und genesene”, including those vaccinated or cured people. A sort of vaccination pass that was not enough to halt the progression of the epidemic, forcing the main political forces of the country to think about new measures, to avoid the overheating of hospitals and a humanitarian tragedy.
While many Christmas markets have closed in the most affected regions, large gatherings still take place in others.
The outgoing government criticized Monday the influx of 50,000 supporters in Cologne - often without a mask and little concern for the respect of barrier gestures - for the Rhine derby against Mönchengladbach, while several infections with the Omicron variant, with mutations that worry the community scientific, have been detected in the country.
"Every day counts"
Angela Merkel, her conservative allies, but also many virologists have publicly deemed the measures currently in force insufficient to break the fourth wave of the new coronavirus.
"Every day counts," warned the departing leader on Thursday, who said she wanted an additional turn of the screw and informed her successor, the Social Democrat Olaf Scholz, who is to take power in December.
Angela Merkel, her successor Olaf Scholz and the regional presidents in Germany are meeting on Tuesday.
Among the avenues on the table, in particular:
• vaccination pass in certain places
• closing of discotheques
• gauge for Bundesligah matchesttps: //t.co/h2D2zlDRF7 pic.twitter.com/TnJ1Bg8lCV
- Nicolas Berrod (@nicolasberrod) November 29, 2021
In Germany, the seven-day incidence climbed on Monday to a peak of 452.4 per 100,000 inhabitants, a level not yet reached since the start of the pandemic in this country, where 20% of adults are not vaccinated against the Covid-19, a fairly high figure compared to other countries in Western Europe, which has been stagnating since the summer. So much so that some regional presidents are considering another form of restriction, compulsory vaccination.
On Friday, Markus Söder, the president of Bavaria, called for compulsory vaccination, from January 1, 2022, while nationwide, around 60,000 new cases of Covid-19 are detected every day.
If some regional presidents are asking for more and more restrictions - they are the ones who decide the main public health policies, unlike France - the vaccination obligation is not the priority at the top of the German state.
Towards a vaccination obligation?
Health Minister Jens Spahn has so far strongly opposed this.
He now considers that the measure, far from being unfounded in the face of the national situation, would be counterproductive and would risk causing the revolt of part of the Germans, attached to the freedom to be vaccinated.
The vaccination obligation for health personnel was decided only a few days ago, proof that the subject is sensitive.
Politicians are also awaiting the decision of the German Constitutional Court on the validity of the so-called "emergency brake" mechanism put in place last spring, which imposes automatic lockdowns of public life, including curfews, to from a certain threshold of incidence.
The answer is expected on Tuesday, at the same time as the meeting organized by Merkel.
