The dispute over Bodo Ramelows easing plans in the Corona crisis continues. CSU chief Markus Söder publishes a letter that he received.
- Bodo Ramelow (left) plans to end the corona restrictions * in Thuringia.
- The move is under criticism.
- Saxony , however, wants to follow the example.
Update from Thursday, May 28, 2020, 12.40 p.m .: CSU boss Markus Söder was personally threatened and attacked for his tough course in the fight against the corona virus. Söder published a photo of an envelope addressed to him and its contents on Twitter.
Next to a small test tube there is a piece of paper that says "2019-nCoV" "positive", and on a second piece of paper the sentence "Drink this - then you will become immune". The Bavarian Prime Minister commented on this with the words, " Hate and agitation are increasing ".
In his communication Söder referred to similar threats against the virologist Christian Drosten and the SPD health politician Karl Lauterbach : “On May 25, I also received such an envelope. Conspiracy theorists fuel a dangerous climate. We can not permit that. Politics must show an attitude and be the voice of reason. "
Update from Thursday, May 28, 2020, 12.40 p.m .: After the criticism of Bodo Ramelow's easing strategy by Chancellor Angela Merkel , local politicians are now also expressing their doubts. A complete abolition of the corona restrictions in Thuringia is fatal, as described in an open letter to Bodo Ramelow.
The district councilors from Coburg, Kronach, Lichtenfels, Sonneberg and Hildburghausen as well as the heads of town from Coburg, Sonneberg, Neustadt bei Coburg and the chairman of the Bavarian Community Day signed the letter. An increase in infections by the novel corona virus is feared in the entire area.
Bodo Ramelow had recently stated that he wanted to maintain the course of lifting the nationwide corona restrictions. Angela Merkel had criticized on Wednesday. "I have a slightly modified view of how to deal with the private sphere," said Merkel. Of course, there should be no rules and prohibitions for private rooms. But general and general rules are needed.
Corona loosening in private space: Merkel brakes Ramelow with three rules
Update from Wednesday, May 27th, 2020, 5:01 pm: Chancellor Angela Merkel met with the Prime Ministers of the East German federal states on Wednesday. The corona pandemic was an important topic of the discussions, along with many other points . The initiative of Thuringia and Bodo Ramelow's "new way" of more commands and less prohibitions was also discussed.
Ramelow had recently said that no rules for the private sector were to be issued. This would cross a line. Thuringia, among others, had blocked a federal concept in this regard.
Corona regulations for private rooms: Merkel comments on Ramelow
Angela Merkel explains: "I have a slightly modified view of how to deal with the private sphere". Of course, there should be no rules and prohibitions for private rooms. But general and general rules are needed. This would give the population a guide for their own behavior.
After the positive development of the corona numbers in the last few days, the federal states are now more responsible. But a common “protective framework” is necessary for this. To this end, a number of key points have been agreed in the last few days that should continue to apply nationwide. The Chancellor mentioned three relevant points: the mask requirement , the distance rule and the upper limit emergency brake from a certain number of infections.
"At the beginning of the pandemic": Merkel warns of carelessness
"We are still at the beginning of the pandemic, but we have gained more control," said Angela Merkel. You can see from events, such as after a Baptist service in Frankfurt or a restaurant in Leer, how quickly the infection process can develop differently.
Corona loosening: Ramelow explains his advance
Update from Wednesday, May 27th, 2020, 10.20am: Thuringia's Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow has again commented on Deutschlandfunk Nova on his initiative to end the corona rules .
He wanted to "get out of the emergency ordinances" and thus go into a "fight against the rule", ie specifically fight infections and not "continue to scare abstract people". Where there are no infections, there is no longer any need to carry out checks with the police or the regulatory office. It is more important to take care of those places where infections take place. "We don't fight the infection with fear, we want to fight it with reason."
Distance and hygiene rules are still the basis; if there are correct concepts in this regard, concerts and festivals could also take place again.
Thuringia goes its own way with corona restrictions
+++ 20.12 clock: Thuringia still keeps its own way with new Corona contact restrictions . The country had approved the federal proposals, but at the same time made a protocol declaration that would allow it to go its own way. Thuringia's State Secretary Malte Krückels announced this in Erfurt on request.
The federal government's proposals include that a maximum of ten people or members of two households can meet in public or at home. The contact restrictions should apply until June 29, 2020. In Thuringia , members of two households can already meet. The protocol declaration of the Free State states, among other things, that Thuringia reserves the right to "decide on different regulations for stays in public spaces, provided that the infection process allows this".
For private gatherings at home, Thuringia currently sees the possibility of foregoing special restrictions on contact behavior. Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left) said on Tuesday (May 26, 2020) in Erfurt that state regulations are emergency interventions that are only justified if the infection process requires it.
Corona: Thuringia wants to lift further restrictions
+++ 13.55 p.m .: Thuringia wants to lift further corona restrictions in June . The country wants to gradually switch from crisis mode to regular mode, said Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left) on Tuesday after a cabinet meeting in Erfurt. He wanted to get out of the "general regulations". He rejects state interference in the privacy of people in their home - obviously Ramelow was referring to the change in contact restrictions currently being discussed nationwide, which should apply in public and private space.
Ramelow also made clear that mouth and nose protection should continue to be worn in Thuringia where people come too close together, as in public transport. The minimum distance of 1.5 meters should also be maintained. The steps towards easing would be discussed in the coming week.
Corona loosening: Söder comments on Thuringia
+++ 13.35 p.m .: Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder spoke at a press conference after Thuringia's Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left) pushed to end the corona measures .
In his opinion, "massive reaction" should be implemented if Thuringia implement the project. The infection chains in Thuringia would have to be followed up consistently . One problem is that the country leaves the main work to the municipalities and the counties. The state of Thuringia would then have "nothing more to do".
"We would work with the counties" and "provide help," said Söder. Specifically, contact has to be made to help when the "country leaves the counties alone".
Söder does not assume that Ramelow's push will not be implemented.
Corona loosening: Bavaria threatens Ramelow with countermeasures
Update, May 26, 2020, 6:20 am: Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann threatens Thuringia with countermeasures to the prospect of easing the corona protective measures .
"Prime Minister Ramelo w's proposals are irresponsible," the CSU politician told the press. They will keep a very close eye on the further development in Thuringia, "in order to take countermeasures in Bavaria". Herrmann continued: "We will certainly not stand by and watch Ramelow carelessly destroy great successes in the fight against the highly dangerous corona virus." At first, he did not give any further details.
Corona: Virologists criticize easing plans
+++ 19.44 PM: Scientists and virologists criticize the easing plans of Thuringia. "This is a population experiment that we do not know how it will end," warned doctor and health care researcher Max Geraedts from the University of Marburg to the German Press Agency. Travel and visits after the easing would bring the virus to regions that are currently in use no new infections are recorded, and without the corona restrictions and hygiene rules , people there would no longer be adequately protected.
Virologist Melanie Brinkmann also sharply criticized the Thuringian approach. "That is not justifiable," said the scientist from the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research in Braunschweig. There is still no all-clear regarding the corona virus. Brinkmann is not sure whether personal responsibility will suffice. Eugen Brysch, board member of the German Foundation for Patient Protection, also made similar comments: “To release everything is wrong. Danger to life for the people in the high-risk group ”. Thuringia's Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow had announced that as of June 6, nationwide corona restrictions would be waived and local regulations instead.
Ramelow's push in the corona crisis: Drosten is skeptical about easing plans
Update, May 25, 2020, 1:20 pm: Virologist Christian Drosten is skeptical about Thuringia's Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow's approach in the corona pandemic to rely more on people's personal responsibility in the future: “Personal responsibility is the Swedish model and we see these days and will see even more in the coming months that a very high level of mortality has arisen there, ”said the Charité scientist on Monday on Deutschlandfunk. "I'm not entirely sure whether all of this can be done through personal responsibility."
Virologist Christian Drosten is skeptical about personal responsibility in the corona pandemic.
© picture alliance / Christophe Gateau / dpa
Saxony and Thuringia want to end corona measures
Leipzig - Thuringia's Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow dares to push forward and wants to remove all corona restrictions from June 6th . For this, certain conditions are necessary, as he announced on Saturday (May 23, 2020) the "Thuringian General".
"We made a decision in March based on an estimate of 60,000 people infected - now we currently have 245 people infected ," Ramelow said.
Next Tuesday he will propose the necessary steps in the Erfurt cabinet. In the course of this, the schools and daycare centers could gradually find their way back to a regular course, whereby teachers and educators should have the opportunity to be tested.
Corona measures are much tougher in the event of negative regression
Ramelow further stated that in the event of a further negative development of the infection process, the corona measures would have to be taken much harder and faster again. This could also vary greatly locally.
He set the limit at 35 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days. Nationwide, the norm is 50 infections.
Corona crisis: approval and criticism of the Ramelow initiative
His project met with mostly positive feedback in the Thuringian state politics . CDU parliamentary group leader Mario Voigt welcomed the announcement, which should be implemented quickly, as the MDR Voigts explains. SPD parliamentary group leader Matthias Hey and FDP man Thomas Kememrich also made positive comments at the end of the corona restrictions . The latter, however, criticized the lack of agreements with other federal states.
While the Greens leader Astrid Rothe-Beinlich had expressed a positive opinion in this regard, Thuringia's Environment Minister Anja Siegesmund (Greens) kept her distance. "The lockdown demands a lot from us all," Siegesmund told the RND on Monday. "But we have to be careful that we don't become frivolous about the successful pandemic management and overdo it."
End of the corona rules: Lauterbach criticizes Ramelow's proposal
The SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach also criticized the planned end of the corona measures. "We have no news about the dangerousness of the virus," said Lauterbach of the "Saarbrücker Zeitung". Thuringia is now questioning exactly the measures "to which one owes all success at the moment". Ramelow relativize the disease, the health expert continued to criticize.
I neither declared Corona over, nor ignored the danger! Our defense strategy is to be switched from crisis management to regular operation. The virus won't go away! Defense standards are therefore becoming the rule rather than the exception.
- Bodo Ramelow (@bodoramelow) May 25, 2020The coronavirus * mortality rate is still high, especially among older people. Late damage was often also left behind. In addition, there is neither an effective drug nor a vaccination, emphasized the doctor. "Therefore, there is no reason at all to pick up what we have learned with difficulty - for example to keep your distance and wear a mask."
Spahn is critical of the change in corona measures
Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn (CDU) also spoke critically on the subject: " Under no circumstances should the impression arise that the pandemic is over," Spahn told the "Bild" according to Monday's advance notification.
"We are currently seeing both: on the one hand entire regions where there are no reported new infections for days , and on the other hand local and regional outbreaks in which this virus is spreading again quickly and which require immediate intervention," he added.
Corona restrictions: Saxony wants to follow Thuringia
Thuringia's prime minister from Saxony is well received. There too, according to a report, plans to lift the general corona restrictions soon . "If the number of new infections remains stable at a low level, we are planning a paradigm shift for the period from June 6 in the next Corona Protection Ordinance, " said Saxony's Minister of Health Petra Köpping (SPD) of the "Leipziger Volkszeitung" (Monday) .
Instead of general restrictions and the definition of many exceptions to them, "everything will generally be released and only a few exceptions will be named that will not be possible," said Köpping. However, people would have to take responsibility "and adhere to the imperative of distance and the obligation to wear a mask ". Whether these rules should also be lifted "should be decided jointly nationwide", the minister emphasized.
Bodo Ramelow meanwhile defended his project: "I did not say that people should hug or take off the mouth and nose protection and kiss," he told the MDR on Monday. (with agency)
Read all developments on the Corona crisis in Germany here in the ticker *
* fr.de is part of the nationwide Ippen editorial network
List of rubric lists: © picture alliance / dpa / Peter Kneffel