The corona crisis is nerve-wracking. Politics make it easier - confusing different signals are now coming from the federal states.
- The spread of the coronavirus * in Germany continues to slow down - but the crisis is not over.
- After the first easing *, the federal states are now sending very different signals.
- Merkur.de * provides a guide through reporting in the Corona crisis and a map with current case numbers .
Kiel / Dresden - The situation is unusual to threatening, for many people - parents, for example - also grueling in the country: Germany has been in the corona shutdown for about a month . Thousands of people have died since the epidemic began , inner cities are empty, numerous entrepreneurs are worried about their existence.
And at the same time, the chalice of the very big virus catastrophe passed the Federal Republic at least once again. The clinics were not overwhelmed. Perhaps because the worst is yet to come: The pandemic, experts emphasize, is still at the very beginning.
It would not seem an exaggeration to say that the country is in the potentially deadly dilemma. Between health protection and saving the economy, between caution and hope - and currently also between discipline and the first feelings of spring. A conflict that is increasingly evident in the actions of Germany's top politicians .
Corona virus: From Merkel to Spahn - Confusing signals from politics
Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and the prime ministers had been silent for a long time . Now there has been movement in the debate. After appearances by Chancellor Angela Merkel, Health Minister Jens Spahn, from the differently polarized Corona pioneers Armin Laschet (all CDU) and Markus Söder (CSU), according to new data from RKI boss Lothar Wieler, the country now knows: The situation has has improved, the ominous number R has dropped, the first easing for business , and in Bavaria, which has been particularly strict to date, for the population, are on the way.
But after long weeks of guesswork about the next small steps, all statements from politics have a special weight. And - despite praise from the USA - the federal states are now threatening to take very different paths. More confusion threatens. Is fast recovery approaching now? Or is it going to be an even tougher time, as feared by Bavaria's deputy prime minister Hubert Aiwanger (free voters)?
Corona: Saxony is tightening corona rules - in the north you think of concerts
Saxony, for example, dared to go it alone on Friday . The country of Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) introduced a mask requirement. The regulation will apply from Monday, said Kretschmer after a meeting of the State Cabinet in Dresden. The head of government emphasized that it does not have to be an expensive FFP2 mask to cover the nose and mouth ; a simple cloth or scarf is also sufficient. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania followed in the evening with a similar rule.
At the other end of the escalation scale is Schleswig-Holstein . The country, which is also led by the CDU, announced its own ordinance - which will regulate how events can be made from May 4 to August 31. "Major events", those with more than 1,000 participants remain prohibited, said Prime Minister Daniel Günther . The fact that there are now short-term rules "for concerts, theater performances and sporting events", as the NDR reports, allows very concrete hopes for a piece of "normalcy".
Corona virus in Germany: is summer leaves coming? Söder also appears to be optimistic
Apart from these two extremes, there is plenty of room for speculation. Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder is actually considered a hardliner when it comes to corona protective measures . Only this week, the Bavarians were allowed to meet people outside of their household's residents outdoors. But when it comes to tourism - an important field for the Free State - Söder is also fueling hopes.
In a subordinate clause, the CSU boss predicted a summer run to holiday destinations in Germany. A scenario that actually seems quite far away at the moment. Söder is obviously more on the Schleswig-Holstein line here. Office colleague Günther told the NDR that there were considerations between the federal and state governments to “enable summer tourism business” . A "three-stage plan" is apparently already being worked on in Germany's northernmost state.
Coronavirus: federal states on a conflict course? Spahn remains calm
The federal government is calm for the time being. Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) emphasized that the Prime Minister agreed on a mask offer on Wednesday . "The fact that there are now individual deviations, as we have already seen in some cities, is always part of the federal debate," he said on Friday in Hamburg.
How serious the situation is and how quickly recovery is possible is initially left to free interpretation. Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke on Wednesday of a "fragile interim success". Spahn on Friday of a “manageable” virus - a possibly far-reaching wording, as Merkur.de * comments.
Meanwhile, hope could give rise to astonishing numbers from Jena - where a mouth protection obligation has been in place for some time - and possible successes in the search for a Covid-19 drug. At the same time, there is no shortage of warnings . The fact that the federal government apparently primarily wants to rely on an app is causing concern online. And the SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach warns of a "severe second wave". The doctor renewed his warning on Friday.
If 98% of Germans still have the corona infection before them, it is clear that "many unnoticed cases are already immune" is wishful thinking. That shows how long we have to behave differently, just now beginning. Only 1-2% infected and over 4000 dead https://t.co/uuKT5TLrTi
- Karl Lauterbach (@Karl_Lauterbach) April 17, 2020Corona virus in Germany: Confusion also in the economy - Karstadt Kaufhof complains
The situation on other fronts is also confusing. Which shops are allowed to open in Germany and which aren't, is increasingly becoming a patchwork: According to the new federal and state guidelines, shops with an area of up to 800 square meters are allowed to reopen from Monday, larger ones are not - with the exception of bookstores, bike shops and car dealerships . This is hoped for a bit more normalcy without the city centers overflowing directly.
The judiciary now has to bring some clarity to the jungle of rules: the Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof department store chain with around 170 locations nationwide and more than 28,000 employees does not want to accept that its doors should remain closed - it is suing.
fn (with material from dpa)
* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.
List of rubric lists: © picture alliance / dpa / Kay Nietfeld
