In the midst of the corona crisis, Baden-Württemberg is gearing up for more infected people. Prime Minister Kretschmann speaks of an "alarm level red"
- The corona virus * spreads worldwide and paralyzes public life.
- Baden-Württemberg shows solidarity and has offered to admit patients from France's crisis region in Alsace.
- Less pleasant: A breakdown in a laboratory in Baden-Württemberg means that numerous corona samples can no longer be evaluated .
- Here you will find the basic facts about the corona virus and the corona news from Germany. You can also find current case numbers in Germany as a map. The following recommendations for corona protective measures are currently available.
Update from March 24, 2020, 1:04 p.m .: In the coronavirus crisis, “ red alert level still applies” - said Baden-Württemberg Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann on Tuesday in Stuttgart. He also described the virus as an “enormous challenge for society” and reported that Baden-Württemberg is currently preparing rehabilitation facilities and hotels so that people can be provided with medical care there.
Corona crisis in Baden-Württemberg: Kretschmann praises the behavior of the population
The federal state is also doing everything it can to get protective equipment , Kretschmann emphasized, according to information from the German Press Agency. For example, the automobile manufacturer Daimler has promised to deliver a total of 110,000 protective masks . In addition, another ten million surgical masks would come from China . In Baden-Württemberg, around 4,000 students have also agreed to help out in clinics, said the Prime Minister. He also praised the fact that most people would abide by the virus containment regulations in force in his state. But despite the fact that drastic measures have been taken, the number of infected people is still increasing, emphasized Kretschmann.
First message from March 23, 2020:
Stuttgart - In view of the global corona virus crisis , international solidarity is also becoming increasingly important. The state of Baden-Württemberg, among others, has now set a good example. According to the Ministry of Science, four university hospitals there agreed to accept patients from neighboring Alsace . The region is one of the corona hotspots in France, with the number of corona infections increasing dramatically, particularly in the Haut-Rhin department and in the entire Grand Est region in eastern France.
Corona crisis in Baden-Württemberg: Macron thanks the solidarity of neighboring countries
French head of state Emmanuel Macron thanked for the cross-border support of other countries in the fight against the spread of coronavirus via Twitter. "Many thanks to our European neighbors," Macron wrote on Monday in the social network with a view to the admission offers for French emergency patients from countries like Baden-Württemberg . Saarland, Rhineland-Palatinate, Switzerland and Luxembourg had previously offered to admit patients.
Merci à nos voisins européens. The solidarity of Europe sauve des vies. https://t.co/HGavQOAwXD
- Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) March 23, 2020While Baden-Württemberg is exemplary when it comes to supporting its French neighbors in the fight against coronavirus * , there was news from a Baden-Württemberg laboratory that was less pleasing. There, a total of 2000 corona samples were partially unusable because they could not be analyzed for too long. The reason for this was that the private institution lacked the chemicals necessary for the test . Samples from people from the Tübingen district and the Biberach, Ravensburg and Bodensee districts are affected.
Read also about the new developments in the search for a vaccine * against the coronavirus. And the plans of the U.S. military are also interesting in the event that President Donald Trump there falls ill with Covid-19. A secret report has now been released on this.
Corona crisis in Baden-Württemberg: Because of a laboratory breakdown, many of those affected have to be tested again
People from these regions who have given a sample between March 14 and 18 and have not yet received a result should contact their responsible health office again if they still show flu-like symptoms or have a fever *. Then a new test will be launched. If the symptoms have disappeared in the meantime, it is very likely that you will not be infected, it said.
It is also currently being examined whether at least some of the samples that have remained can still be used. The Ministry of Health as well as the counties have meanwhile criticized the laboratory sharply : "The procedure of the laboratory keeps all affected citizens in uncertainty and is not acceptable," emphasized the facilities.
The corona virus began in Baden-Württemberg in the Göppingen district. There, on February 25, the first person tested positive for CoVid-19. See the video for more information.
You can find more information on corona virus development in France and other European countries in our news ticker. And Corona is also on the rise in the United States. The city of New York is particularly affected.
* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.