In Germany, the nationwide lockdown was extended to February 14th.
Home office and stricter mask rules are new.
There was a dispute about the school closings.
The
nationwide corona lockdown
is to last even longer and have a preventive effect against the British mutation.
A new
feature
is a
home office obligation
for employers, which Labor Minister Hubertus Heil declares an important step.
CDU parliamentary group leader Brinkhaus warns of a "bureaucracy monster"
(update from January 20, 12:53 pm)
.
Radical voices from Merkel's scientific advisory team are now
causing
a stir and alienation
(Update January 20, 1:41 pm)
.
This
news ticker
is continuously updated.
Update from January 20th, 1:41 pm:
Since the beginning of the pandemic,
Chancellor Angela Merkel has
surrounded herself
with a group of scientists who advise her on measures and background knowledge.
Now, however, some of these experts are
causing astonishment
with a
radical suggestion
: If they have their way, the lockdown in Germany should only be lifted when there are
zero new infections
- following the Australian model.
That reports
Bild
.
Among other things, the virologists Melanie Brinkmann and Michael Meyer-Hermann, both working at the Helmholtz Institute, are said to have represented this opinion and wrote down their demands on a ten-page paper.
The
federal government
did
not want to confirm
the existence of the paper to
Bild
.
In addition to the
zero infection lockdown
, the paper should also call for state “
motivation campaigns
” with which “social consensus” on the lockdown is to be established.
That causes a stir.
"I am surprised by the promised transferability from a major Australian city to
densely populated Europe
with its many states," criticized medical statistician Gerd Antes, for example, in relation to the newspaper.
He considers the attempts to be
“unrealistic and naive”
.
FDP politician Olaf in der Beek is annoyed by
a lack of
“critical voices”
.
The goal of bringing the infections to zero seems to me completely unrealistic and naive under the local political conditions.
Medical statistician Gerd Antes
Corona lockdown in Germany: Markus Söder questions the end of February
Update from January 20, 1:24 p.m .:
"We are extending the
lockdown
until February 14."
Bavaria's
Prime Minister Markus Söder
(CSU) has now also commented on the decisions made by the Chancellor and Prime Minister on Tuesday.
He wants to remain strict in the school area, but holds out the prospect of alternating classes for final classes.
Warning about the new home office regulation: There must be no “bureaucracy monster”
Update from January 20, 12:53 p.m .:
"We have to be careful that we don't
get
a
bureaucracy monster
," says Ralph Brinkaus about the new home office regulations for employers.
The chairman of the
CDU parliamentary group made
a statement on Wednesday to extend the nationwide lockdown and the new measures.
“I absolutely share what has been decided.
It is right that it is extended. ”He is also fundamentally behind the new decisions about
home office
.
Only the bureaucracy worries him.
For the
school sector
, Brinkhaus has a clear appeal: "We ask the Prime Ministers
to remain strict
in the school sector as well
. You have already heard at one point or another that something should break out."
The CDU politician considers
strengthening the health authorities to be
particularly important
.
From an incidence of 50 it would be up to the offices to follow up the cases.
They have to be prepared for this - in terms of personnel and software.
Mask requirement, schools & more home office: This is what the lockdown extension looks like
Our first report from January 20:
Berlin - The nationwide lockdown to combat the corona pandemic will be extended in
Germany
until mid-February.
This is what
German Chancellor Angela Merkel
jointly decided on Tuesday and the prime ministers of the countries.
Also out of fear of the mutation from Great Britain.
What is new is a
tightening of the mask requirement
in public transport and shops.
In the future, so-called FFP2 surgical masks must be worn there.
In addition, employers
will
have to enable
their employees to
work from home
whenever the job allows it.
"We stay on the ball," said Lower Saxony's Prime Minister
Stephan Weil
(SPD) on Wednesday about the new decisions.
He expects the extension to lead to success in combating the
corona pandemic
. * If everyone stayed on the ball, no matter how difficult it may be at the moment, it will lead to the goal.
With regard to the mutation from Great Britain,
Daniel Günther
(
CDU
*), Prime Minister of Schleswig-Holstein
explains
: "There is no reason to spread panic about it, but you have to be a little careful."
New home office obligation in Germany: Labor Minister Heil explains the new measure
“The world of work must do its part to combat the pandemic,” said
Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil
(SPD) at a press conference on Wednesday.
"Many companies do this in an exemplary manner," says Heil.
Experts have in the discussions but made clear that it in the
Home Office
nor
"Clearly there is room for improvement" to avoid infections.
Therefore, after long requests and requests to the employers, it was decided to now order that employers have to make a home office offer, should no
compelling operational reasons
speak against
it.
+
Hubertus Heil (SPD), Federal Minister for Labor and Social Affairs
© Bernd von Jutrczenka / dpa
He also asks the employees to take advantage of the offer.
If home office is not possible, stricter rules for masks and distances now apply.
If it is
not possible to keep
the
minimum distances
, the employer must
provide
medical masks
*
.
"There are major cuts, but they are significantly less restrictive than in other areas of society." The new rules will now apply until March 15 and, according to Heil, will probably come into force on Wednesday of the coming week.
"My concern now is not
to torture companies
or to constantly control them," said the SPD politician on Wednesday in Berlin.
Everyone in this country has to obey the law and law and many companies have shown what is possible.
Corona: Improvement of the bridging aid - more money for companies and self-employed people
Smaller businesses should be taken into account in the measures adopted for home office, said
Minister of Economic Affairs Peter Altmaier
(CDU).
“Home office everywhere where it is possible, but only where it is possible”, he explained in the ARD “Morgenmagazin”.
He also announced more
support for the solo self-employed and companies
*.
Self-employed persons
could
settle a flat fee of
7500 euros
up to June.
"Now it applies to everyone who is self-employed," he said on Wednesday.
"That will help you get through these difficult months."
The entry requirements for companies and self-employed people are also to be simplified significantly.
The federal government also wants to increase the
down payments
noticeably.
Extended corona lockdown in Germany - discussion about school closings
Schools are to remain closed until mid-February or compulsory attendance is to be suspended.
The
federal and state governments
agreed
on this on Tuesday.
The same should be done in daycare centers.
However, the issue was a major
point of contention
at the conference
.
After the criticism of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Prime Minister
Manuela Schwesig
(SPD) that schools and companies are measured with double standards,
Chancellor Merkel reacted angrily
. *
In fact, the implementation with regard to schools in the individual federal states will probably be different.
Baden-Württemberg's Prime Minister
Winfried Kretschmann
(Greens) wants
to gradually reopen
elementary schools and daycare centers
in the state from February 1, as already announced on Tuesday.
He is striving to reopen daycare centers and elementary schools "if the infection situation allows," said the Green * politician.
"I ask for your understanding that we are very cautious here," explains Daniel Günther for Schleswig-Holstein.
He is hoping for "
opening steps
" from February 14th.
Federal Family Minister
Franziska Giffey
(
SPD
*) also spoke to the press on Wednesday about the decision to extend the school closings.
“The decisions are serious.
It has a big impact on families, ”said Giffey.
But if you want the chance to get the pandemic under control quickly and to take preventive action against the British mutation, contacts in all areas of life would have to be further restricted.
(mam / dpa) * Merkur.de is part of the Ippen digital network.
List of rubric lists: © Monika Skolimowska
