In a government survey in the Bundestag, Chancellor Merkel explained her course in the Corona crisis, followed by a current hour.
The focus: the Covid-19 vaccinations.
Chancellor
Angela Merkel
* (CDU *)
answered questions from MPs
on the first
day of
the
lockdown
.
Then the Bundestag discussed the strategy for
vaccinations
* in the corona crisis *.
Now there should be a video
link
from Merkel and Spahn with the
Biontech founders
.
Update from December 17, 9.35 a.m
.: But no free
mouth and nose protection
by shipping!
At least not from the federal government.
"In a second step, we will not send any FFP2 masks," said a government spokesman on Wednesday evening.
Chancellor
Angela Merkel (CDU)
expressed herself
misleadingly
in the
government
survey (see update from December 16, 1:21 p.m.)
.
Certificates
would be sent
with which authorized persons can obtain masks in pharmacies - including
mail-order pharmacies
.
Update from December 17, 7.42 a.m
.: The Biontech founders
Ugur Sahin
and
Özlem Türeci
suddenly rose to prominence in the Corona crisis: The company, with its US partner
Pfizer,
is expected to be the first consortium whose
Covid-19 vaccine is
in the EU and thus also for Germany.
This Thursday, Chancellor
Angela Merkel (CDU)
will
speak
to the two of them from 11 a.m. in a video link.
According to government spokesman Steffen Seibert, Federal Health Minister
Jens Spahn
and Research
Minister
Anja Karliczek (both CDU)
want to take part in the conversation
.
+
Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) wants to interconnect with the Biontech founders.
© Bernd von Jutrczenka / dpa
AfD man with a sensitive vaccine question: Merkel's counterattack in the Bundestag is sitting - also one against Schäuble
16.42:
The last speaker is
Rudolf Henke
(CDU) and defends the strategy of the federal and state governments.
He refers to the first lockdown in spring.
The decision of a new
lockdown
is necessary.
He defends the new
corona vaccine
.
"As a member of the Bundestag, I am happy to be in the same place as saleswomen in the supermarket," said Henke with regard to the prioritization of the vaccine.
This
ends
the
current hour
.
16.35: Katharina the Great
started the first vaccination campaign and got vaccinated against smallpox,
Georg Nüßlein
(CSU)
begins
his speech.
And with a sharp criticism of the
AfD parliamentary group
and its "pseudo-scientific" claims.
“That's shameful,” he says, pointing out that it makes people feel insecure.
Nüßlein also
massively criticized the
fact that the AfD speaks of a “mandatory vaccination”
.
"A prioritization is the opposite of a mandatory vaccination!"
16.30: Martina Stamm-Fibich
speaks for the
SPD parliamentary group
.
She, too, stressed the need to trust the vaccine.
One should not
run after
the
USA
or
Great Britain
, but stick to the current course.
Vaccination centers are
ready
in many places in the country
.
The draft ordinance
clearly
specifies the population groups to be prioritized
.
Michael Kretschmer: Prime Minister of Saxony in Current Hour - Appreciation of the work
16:23: Michael Kretschmer
(CDU), Prime Minister of
Things
, also speaks today in the
current hour
.
He explains the need for the
lockdown
from this Wednesday with reference to the current dramatic situation.
“So many people outgrow themselves during this time,” says
Kretschmer
, for example in care and in hospitals.
"The decisions were difficult" this year, said the
Saxon Prime Minister
.
Among other things, he came to the
Bundestag
today
to pay tribute
to the
cooperation across party boundaries
.
The cooperation between the
federal and state governments
has always required parliamentary legitimation.
"With your decisions you helped to ensure that the vaccine is now available," he addressed to the Bundestag and the state parliaments.
“We don't have to let anyone talk us into this, not a fool, not a
cross talker.
"
16.15:
Older people and employees in care first need access to a vaccine, according to
Heike Baehrens
(SPD).
That's right, she emphasizes.
It is important to protect and support skilled workers, said Baehrens.
She appeals to the federal states and municipalities to work with hospitals and care providers
to develop
care
offers
for their children.
It is becoming apparent that every force is really needed.
The population can protect care by sticking to the rules.
"The priority of care in the
vaccination strategy
is right and wise," said Baehrens.
16.10:
After addressing the
AfD parliamentary group
,
Anja Karliczek
(CDU) warns against
comparing
the
coronavirus
with the
flu
.
She also defends the
proper approval of the vaccine
.
It is the "prerequisite for people's trust." The wider the range of vaccines, the better, said Karliczek.
“Being able to vaccinate is one of the greatest achievements in health research.” However, one will have to
live
with the
pandemic
for a while
.
You need medication for them - new medication should therefore continue to be funded in the short term.
16.02: Steffen Kotré
(AfD) gets headwind in the hall while he
speaks
of "hysteria" around the
corona
virus
and a "corona dictatorship".
He sees Germany's economic decline.
Health Minister Jens Spahn: "hard and difficult times" - vaccination is the way out of a pandemic
15:54:
Health Minister
Jens Spahn is
now speaking
.
There are "hard and difficult times," said Spahn, referring to almost a thousand deaths in the past 24 hours.
But there is also hope, "well-founded hope" with a view to the vaccine.
"Vaccination is progress," says Spahn.
One can be proud that a
vaccine from Germany
gives the world confidence.
"Nothing is more important when vaccinating than trust", a
proper approval
for all
27 EU states
is important: "In the best
European spirit
".
He also emphasizes that at the beginning there will not be enough
vaccine
for everyone who wants to be vaccinated.
The procedure of the
national vaccination strategy
is a transparent procedure, Spahn countered the previous criticism: "While we are discussing it, they complain that we are not discussing it," he says in the room.
"Vaccination is the way out of this
pandemic,
" the
Minister of Health concluded
his address.
Even on the first day of tough nationwide restrictions, there is hope - a #vaccine is imminent.
Current hour in the #Plenum #Bundestag on the national #vaccination strategy against # COVID19.
@cducsubt @cdulsa pic.twitter.com/Cc6fzGhW5j
- Tino Sorge (@TinoSorge) December 16, 2020
3:48 p.m.:
"In the long term, the vaccine is the most central component" in combating the
coronavirus
, says
Janosch Dahmen
(Greens).
But it will take months and a
medium-term transition
strategy is needed
.
Consists of: testing, tracking, protective measures.
You need a systematic national strategy.
Vaccination
is a communicative challenge with reference to a
declining willingness to vaccinate
.
"We have to convince the citizens of the importance of vaccination." You have to
immunize
the
vaccine
against suspicion.
Anyone who
spreads
conspiracy stories about the vaccine is
putting human lives at risk.
He calls for information and transparency towards the population.
Current hour in the Bundestag: Prioritizing the population groups - And: Security over speed
15.45:
Gesine Lötzsch
(left)
follows
.
She says that vaccination is a matter of trust.
She too sees the strategy as a task for
Parliament
.
She warns of a quick
emergency approval of the vaccine
and, like Dittmar, emphasizes: "Safety comes before speed." According to
Lötzsch,
nurses and nurses
bear the main burden
, they have to be protected.
She wanted to
add a criterion to
the
Leopoldina's
criteria
: the social.
Low-
income people have a higher risk of
developing Covid-19
.
People who meet others every day, such as bus drivers and people in mass accommodation such as refugees, are particularly at risk.
15.40:
"An essential decision of fundamental rights" is the definition of the vaccination strategy, says
Stephan Thomae
(FDP).
According to him, such questions
belong
in
Parliament
.
The negotiation of the strategy is opaque and unsafe for the population.
Sabine Dittmar speaks in Current Hour in the Bundestag - AfD gets heckling
3.30 p.m.: Sabine Dittmar
(SPD) speaks of the fact that the
vaccine is
imminent
in Germany
.
"Precisely because so much depends on trust in the vaccination,"
Dittmar emphasizes
that a
regular approval process is
important.
“Safety comes before speed.
The cooperation in the approval of the vaccine is a sign of
European solidarity
.
The need will initially be greater than the
vaccine
available.
According to Dittmar, you don't need a new law for prioritization.
People with old age or previous illnesses who are at higher risk of becoming seriously ill are prioritized, as are medical staff such as doctors and nurses.
According to Dittmar, the
flu vaccinations
administered millions of times already show
that
vaccination centers in Germany are
efficient
.
Do I have to be afraid of side effects?
And: Does the #vaccine really change my DNA ?!
(Spoiler: The answer is "no" twice.) @ Dittmarsabine answers the most important questions about #imping.
The complete video (11:50 min.) Can be found here: https://t.co/CgU7Y0mzO2 pic.twitter.com/2ARrCgmDFw
- SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag (@spdbt) December 16, 2020
15:24:
Now the
AfD
speaks
.
The Germans' willingness to vaccinate would decrease, says Paul Viktor Podolay.
There are heckling.
“Do we stay in
lockdown
forever
?” He criticizes the prioritization, for example that people with a migration background would already be in third place in refugee accommodation.
It is getting restless in the hall.
According to Podolay, the vaccination could trigger violent reactions, as has been seen in
England
.
Corona vaccine is a topic in the Bundestag: Current hour on the national vaccination strategy
3:20 p.m.:
The vaccine is not yet sufficient for comprehensive coverage, it must be prioritized.
The vaccine must be used as effectively as possible.
"There is no compulsory vaccination,"
emphasizes
Karin Maag
(CDU / CSU).
Update from December 16, 3:17 p.m.:
The
current hour
in the Bundestag for the implementation of the
national vaccination strategy for Covid-19
has begun.
Update from December 16, 2:25 p.m
.: Among other topics, there was a lot about the
corona crisis
in today's survey of the federal government in parliament.
The key points of Chancellor
Angela Merkel's (CDU)
current course:
In the case of
vaccinations
, there should first be a prioritization of
particularly vulnerable
groups.
If all (six) vaccines ordered are available in sufficient quantities, there could possibly be a
choice
of Covid-19 vaccines for patients.
The aim is
herd immunity
, for which 65 to 70 percent of the population would have to be vaccinated.
The federal government does not want to
introduce
compulsory vaccinations
.
The
free FFP2 masks
for people from corona risk groups should also
be able to be requested
by
mail
in the future
.
Update from December 16, 1:43 p.m
.: An
AfD MP
is apparently suspicious of the
mRNA vaccine
, which is "genetically manipulated".
Does the federal government provide sufficient information about how the vaccine works? Asks
Uwe Witt
.
The federal government has "booked six types of Covid-19 vaccines from various manufacturers, to put it that way," replied Merkel.
"Every citizen can find out more about the nature of these vaccines - we also provide information about them."
Only
one question is allowed
during a government survey - Witt makes use of this (and then you can hear some grumbling from the seats): But you still
have to wear
a
mask
despite the vaccination
?
Merkel's counterattack causes laughter: “I sense from your question that you cannot be a great fan of vaccination.
But then the time will come for you too when you can choose a vaccine. "
Then it gets serious: If too many people do
n't
want
to
be
vaccinated,
" we will wear a mask for a long time.
Because then we
cannot achieve
herd immunity
. ”But there will be no compulsory vaccination.
“And I would ask you - according to the facts - not to speak of any genetically modified things.
It's a vaccine that contains genetic components. ”Applause in the hall.
Laughs at government survey: Schäuble admonishes - Merkel counters
Update from December 16, 1:35 p.m
.:
Every now and then
we laugh.
It's about behavior during such a question and answer session.
Bundestag President
Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU)
warns: "We shouldn't
let
the government surveys become too much of
coalition negotiations
." The questioning MP was not from the SPD.
Merkel is therefore subtle: "Sometimes the
opposition
may also be
interested in getting to know life in the government."
Merkel survey in the Bundestag: "Who should pay the pandemic bill?"
Update from December 16, 1:29 p.m
.: It's the left's turn.
"Who should pay the pandemic bill"
,
Gesine Lötzsch
would like to
know with a view to the record budget that was decided on last Friday and is demanding a property levy.
“The core task is: How do we create growth?
Because we can generate additional income through growth.
That will be the strategy, ”is Merkel's answer.
"We are
not
planning
any cuts in social spending
, so that is clear - so that no legends are knitted here," she emphasizes.
But:
"My group is not thinking of a property levy"
- and adds: "We don't want a property levy, if you then remember it better."
Update from December 16, 1:21 pm
: On Tuesday there were sometimes
long queues in front of the pharmacies
.
Reason: The free distribution of
FFP2 masks
to the elderly.
Christine Aschenberg-Dugnus (FDP)
is dissatisfied: "We all agree that people
over 60
should not be around people in the pandemic - why didn't you
send
the masks
"?
This attack ricochets off Merkel: “
That will happen in a second step
.
We wanted to make an offer first and that - with a few exceptions, I'll admit - worked out well.
The fact that so many have come shows that the offer has been well received. "
Update from December 16, 1:14 p.m
.: "I
ask
about the status of the talks almost every day," said Merkel when asked by
Frank Schwabe (SPD)
about the
supply chain law
.
The Union stands by the relevant agreements in the coalition agreement - but rejects any further demands.
Update from December 16, July 13
: The EU “was facing the greatest economic and social challenge since its founding this year”, Merkel opened the government survey with a reference to
Germany's
soon-to-end
EU Council Presidency
.
In addition, the
Chancellor
reports
from today's cabinet meeting, in which, among other things, it was decided to use the funds from the
Corona development fund
primarily in the areas of
climate protection
and
digitization
("German Development and Resilience Plan").
+
Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU)
© Hannibal Hanschke / Reuters / Pool / dpa
Update from December 16, 12:51 p.m
.: In a few minutes the government
survey
with Chancellor
Angela Merkel (CDU)
in the Bundestag in Berlin.
We will then follow the debate here in the
live ticker
.
Update from December 16, 11:53 a.m
.: Will
vaccination readiness
still be a problem?
The
Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko)
recently referred to a
survey
according to which it has steadily decreased in Germany since spring and is even lower among medical staff than among the rest of the population.
About
53 percent
of Germans want to be
vaccinated
against
Covid-19
, the Barmer health insurance company found in a
survey
at the end of November
.
At the time, 42 percent of parents stated that they also wanted their children to be vaccinated (
RND
reported first).
If you look at an agency photo of today's cabinet meeting with Chancellor
Angela Merkel
(CDU), you can ask yourself whether that will be enough.
Under her arm she carried a list with the
"estimated participation rate" of
various population groups.
All together, the federal government expects a vaccination participation rate of
68 percent
.
The surveys are worrisome, among others, the
SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach.
"It surprises me that the willingness to vaccinate is not significantly higher among medical staff," said the politician this Monday to the newspapers of the
Funke media group
.
The patient commissioner of the federal government,
Claudia Schmidtke (CDU)
, however, believes that the willingness to vaccinate increases as soon as reliable vaccines are approved.
Federal government agrees on special corona leave for parents
Update December 16, 2020, 11.30 a.m.:
Agreement in Berlin!
Before the questioning of Angela Merkel in the Bundestag, the Federal Cabinet decided at its meeting on Wednesday to implement the special Corona leave for parents announced in the outcome paper of the last Prime Minister's Conference.
According to the cabinet resolution, which is available to the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND / Wednesday), Paragraph 56, Paragraph 1a of the Infection Protection Act is to be supplemented by a half-sentence.
In the future, parents should also be entitled to compensation in the event of a loss of wages due to childcare if the compulsory attendance in schools is suspended.
So far, the claim for compensation only existed in the event of an officially ordered closure of the school.
Angela Merkel asks herself questions about the nationwide corona lockdown
First report:
Berlin - The starting shot has been fired:
retail
and
schools
largely closed,
night curfews
and strict
contact restrictions
.
A test of patience, especially before the holidays, even if most Germans support the
lockdown
in surveys
.
The wait for the
corona vaccine
is added.
And here, at least according to the notoriously irritable Internet forists, the criticism of the federal government is increasing.
On this first lockdown Wednesday, Chancellor
Angela Merkel (CDU) will
answer questions from
parliamentarians for an
hour
.
On Tuesday, the European Medicines Agency (
EMA
) announced that it would
decide
on the approval of a Sars-CoV-2 vaccine (from
Biontech / Pfizer
) for Germany
on
December 21
.
Eight days earlier than originally planned.
"From the summer we can return to normal step by step,"
said Federal Health
Minister Jens Spahn (CDU)
confidently on the day of the Merkel survey on RTL / ntv.
Then there will be enough vaccine for everyone who wants to be vaccinated.
The vaccination is a
"command of reason"
.
Corona in Germany: Question time with Merkel - followed by vaccination strategy debate
According to Spahn,
55 to 65 percent of
the population
would have to get
vaccinated to stop the spread of the virus.
"That is how long we will continue to take care of each other and thus also have to reduce the most intensive and difficult processes," emphasized Spahn.
Hygiene measures are also necessary until then.
“Getting vaccinated is a matter of common sense.
It is sensible for oneself, because it protects & helps to avoid the most severe processes & it is sensible as part of society, because you can also protect others with it. “@Jensspahn with @NikolausBlome at @RTLde.
- BMG (@BMG_Bund) December 15, 2020
From
3:05 p.m.
on Wednesday, a
current hour
in the Bundestag will
deal with the national
vaccination strategy
, which is to be laid down in a regulation.
According
to the
AFP
, these groups
should be vaccinated first
:
The elderly and other risk groups
Doctors and nursing staff
Employees at the police, schools or daycare centers
Advice will also be given from 6:20 pm on the Annual Tax Act 2020. Among other things, it provides for a flat rate for work in the
home office
.
The government survey with Merkel starts at
13:00
.
At this point we will continuously report on the date.
(AFP / dpa / frs)
* Merkur.de is part of the Ippen digital editorial network.
List of rubric lists: © Bernd von Jutrczenka / dpa