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Corona: The federal and state governments are fighting for another lockdown course

2021-02-08T17:25:07.693Z


The number of infections is falling - but is that enough? On Wednesday, the heads of the federal and state governments will meet for the next Corona summit. There will probably not be any far-reaching easing for the time being.


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Chancellor Merkel, country leaders Söder, Müller

Photo: 

Michael Kappeler / dpa

Two days before the federal-state consultations on the corona measures, a further extension of the lockdown is becoming apparent.

From negotiating circles it was said on Monday that although no decisions had been made, there was a trend between the federal government and the 16 countries to further extend the closings.

According to information from participants, Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) said in the CDU Presidium that there would also be ways of opening up schools and daycare centers.

According to the Reuters news agency, however, she said that the infection numbers would have to be "pushed" down for another two weeks.

The debate is shaped by the falling number of infections and, at the same time, the fear of highly contagious virus variants, against which the vaccines developed up to now could possibly no longer protect so strongly.

The Robert Koch Institute reported 4535 new infections on Monday, again significantly fewer than in the previous week.

The number of deaths rose by 158 within one day.

However, the numbers on Monday are considered unreliable because many health authorities do not transmit any data to the RKI on the weekend even one year after the start of the pandemic.

The seven-day incidence drops to 76.0.

It indicates how many people become infected per hundred thousand inhabitants within a week.

The federal and state governments aim for a value below 50, but if possible even lower.

What happens after February 14th?

Health Minister Jens Spahn announced after the Corona cabinet that the number of helpers in the health authorities would be increased.

On Monday, the Divi Register reported a slight increase in the number of Covid intensive care patients in hospitals for the first time in a long time, at 3952.

On Wednesday Merkel and the 16 prime ministers will have to decide how to proceed after the lockdown that is currently in force until February 14th.

Government spokesman Steffen Seibert pointed out that by then neither the so-called seven-day incidence of new infections had fallen below the targeted threshold of 50, nor could the RKI present new figures on the spread of the virus.

Hamburg's mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD) warned in the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" that the number of infections could quickly skyrocket again in view of the spread of the highly contagious virus variants.

SPD General Secretary Lars Klingbeil had said on RTL / ntv that he expected the federal and state governments to decide to extend the lockdown on Wednesday.

"It is becoming apparent that the measures will be extended." Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier (CDU) also emphasized to "Bild" that the rapid reduction in the number of corona infections must have absolute priority over easing the lockdown.

Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD) said on ZDF that he still wanted to talk about an "opening concept, an opening strategy" at the federal-state summit.

Associations call for relaxation

Before the summit, in addition to the warners, business associations also spoke up, calling for steps to be taken.

The retail association HDE, for example, demanded a step-by-step exit from lockdown with strict hygiene concepts after February 14th.

»The closed trading companies need a realistic opening perspective as soon as possible.

Otherwise we will lose tens of thousands of businesses, «warned HDE Managing Director Stefan Genth.

First steps should also be possible if the incidence is over 50.

The Association of the German Furniture Industry (VDM) called in an open letter to Merkel, among others, for a "secure opening" by March 1st at the latest.

Otherwise the survival of many companies in the industry is at risk.

Pressure to open schools is also coming from an evaluation of 40 international studies on the subject of corona and schools presented on Monday.

According to this, scientists consider the risk of open schools with strict hygiene requirements to be manageable.

This emerges from the guidelines for the prevention and control of corona infections in schools, which Federal Research Minister Anja Karliczek presented.

»Remain in the protective situation«

The specialist societies for epidemiology, public health, pediatric and adolescent medicine and pediatric infectious diseases come to the conclusion in the 29-page guidelines that schools could remain open during the corona crisis if they observe a clear set of hygiene measures.

This includes smaller, fixed teaching groups, strict distance and ventilation rules, a consistent obligation to wear medical masks and reducing the number of people when using local public transport.

Karliczek himself said he was reluctant to open schools now.

The Hessian Ministry of Culture said that schools are not planning to open the schools until February 22 at the earliest.

If the infection process allows, it is planned to teach grades one to six in the alternate model.

In contrast, the Rhineland-Palatinate Prime Minister Malu Dreyer (SPD) called for nationwide uniform regulations.

Green leader Annalena Baerbock warned: "Opening something quickly now would be really fatal." In order to be able to "open things sustainably in the spring," you have to "stay in this protective situation for the next few weeks," she said.

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kev / Reuters

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2021-02-08

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