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NRW Prime Minister Armin Laschet: "Perspective towards more normality"
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Federico Gambarini / dpa
In the debate about a tough lockdown against the corona crisis, politics is increasingly focusing on the period after Christmas.
North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister Armin Laschet (CDU) advocates using the time after Christmas to largely shut down public life.
"We need a real New Year lockdown after Christmas in order to develop a perspective towards more normalcy again for 2021," he told the dpa news agency.
"From Christmas to the end of the holidays in the new year, the country can most likely shut down completely and thus effectively stop the spread of the pandemic," said Laschet.
"At the same time, we are keeping the damage to educational opportunities for children as well as to the economy and jobs lower than in any other time of the year."
Lockdown should "show the way to a better new year"
The acceptance by the people is crucial for the success of the efforts, said Laschet, who is also applying for the CDU chairmanship.
For this to happen, the political course set must be characterized by diligence, proportionality and reliability.
"We are well advised to start now to prepare the New Year lockdown comprehensively - so that it is supported, actually takes effect and can point the way to a better New Year."
Currently, almost everywhere in Germany, only two households with up to five people are allowed to meet.
Between December 23 and January 1, this can be temporarily relaxed following a resolution by the federal and state governments.
Up to ten people could come together during the period, not including children under 14 years of age.
But several countries have already decided against loosening the measures over the holidays or New Year's Eve.
On Tuesday, the reputation of the National Science Academy Leopoldina after a tough lockdown had reignited the debate.
The paper should be understood as a "clear and final warning from science," said virologist Christian Drosten, who contributed to the statement, in the "Coronavirus Update" at NDR-Info.
The probability is high that the Christmas season will lead to an increase in the number of cases.
If there is no readjustment now, there is a threat of a lockdown "at the end of January and beyond the whole of February" with massive consequences for the economy, said Drosten.
Chancellor Angela Merkel has already spoken out in favor of tightening the measures and wants to meet with the country leaders again before Christmas.
However, there is no date yet; some countries recently thought a short-term crisis meeting was unnecessary.
Among other things, the Leopoldina recommends lifting compulsory schooling from December 14th and encouraging people to work in the home office.
From Christmas Eve, severe restrictions on public life in the areas of retail, personal contacts and travel are to follow.
Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) made it clear on Tuesday that he was ready to close the retail trade after Christmas - provided that the Prime Minister's Conference made a corresponding decision.
In Söders federal state, stricter rules such as exit restrictions, alcohol bans in city centers and curfews in hotspots will already apply from this Wednesday.
In addition, the Prime Minister has once again declared a disaster.
Saxony pulled the emergency brake on Tuesday under the pressure of extremely high numbers of infections and imposed a far-reaching lockdown with effect from next Monday.
This should apply until January 10th.
The state currently has by far the most new infections with the corona virus.
On Wednesday, the incidence was 315 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in the past few days.
The aim is actually an incidence value of 50.
Spahn: "I can hardly think of a better time of the year"
Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) can also imagine a harder lockdown between the years.
His quietest time of the year is actually the days around Christmas until the beginning of January, said Spahn in a live broadcast of the "Bild" newspaper.
"And I could hardly think of a better time of the year to get down further in society, to reduce contacts."
Education Minister Anja Karliczek (CDU) made a similar statement in the Heidelberg newspaper "Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung": "The time around the turn of the year must be used to reduce the number of infections with effective measures."
The German Association of Cities also considers the time after the holidays to be ideal: schools and daycare centers are closed, there are company holidays, many people have vacation "and you don't necessarily have to go shopping after Christmas," said chief executive Helmut Dedy of the "Saarbrücker Zeitung".
"I am therefore promoting a kind of healthy stalemate from December 28th to around January 10th."
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