"With good precautions, restaurants could be safer than the domestic area": Virologist Hendrik Streeck breaks a lance for easing the industry.
The virologist Hendrik Streeck expresses skepticism about the orientation towards the threshold value 35.
In the debate about the relaxation of the corona, he advocates a trial opening of restaurants.
In this context, Streeck recommends a corona traffic light.
Berlin - The situation remains complicated.
On the one hand, the number of infections in Germany is falling and hopes for loosening are increasing.
On the other hand, the mutants * are spreading across Germany and are cause for concern.
While the schools in some federal states have already been opened, hairdressers can also receive customers again on March 1st and benefit from the first easing.
However, other sectors such as the catering and retail sectors remain in a lockdown * and have been since November 2020. The move by the federal government and federal states to set the limit for the seven-day incidence * below which easing should be possible to 35 lower, is criticized in many places.
The resulting loosening and opening of many businesses is made even more difficult.
Corona in Germany: Virologist Streeck for the opening of restaurants on a trial basis
The virologist Hendrik Streeck has now spoken out in favor of opening restaurants on a trial basis: "You should now open restaurants on a test basis and review various hygiene measures, from the distance between tables and ventilation to contact tracking", Streeck told the news magazine
Focus
.
Streeck had often expressed himself critical of the timetable in Germany's pandemic fight.
Even now he emphasizes the "prevailing tendency to close everything".
With good precautions, restaurants could be safer than the domestic area, ”says the virologist.
Streeck: "With good precautions, restaurants could be safer than the domestic area"
In addition, Streeck is critical of the fact that further openings are dependent on the recently redefined threshold of a maximum of 35.
“The problem with these benchmarks is that they have no scientific basis, but are more of a political nature,” he says.
However, due to the new mutations of the corona virus * and their rapid spread in Germany *, reaching values of 35 or lower could take some time and delay the opening of individual companies.
A race against time that many companies can no longer take part in.
+
Chairs and tables stand in the snow in front of the Brandenburg Gate.
Because of the corona pandemic, many shops and restaurants will be closed until March 7th.
© Kira Hofmann / dpa / picture alliance
Virologist Streeck recommends a corona traffic light as a new approach
In view of the plight in which many industries in Germany affected by the lockdown are now in, Streeck recommends a new approach.
Instead of the criterion of the incidence of infection, one could proceed according to a corona traffic light.
It should be set to red, yellow or green depending on the occupancy of the clinics with Covid 19 patients, the number of new infections broken down by age group and the reproduction factor.
In this way, restaurants could open up and react if necessary.
Timely opening would be vital for many companies.
Especially since the promised economic aid is still a long way off in some places.
Promised economic aid means that bankruptcies continue to be threatened
The existential fears in many of the affected industries continue to increase and the calls for relaxation, especially with regard to the falling number of infections, are growing louder.
Economy Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU *) invited to an economic summit on February 16.
Among other things, possible opening perspectives and economic aid were discussed.
The first mentioned have now been delayed again, the second mentioned have only been arriving slowly for weeks.
There is a lack of money everywhere to cover the ongoing costs of the closed businesses.
There is criticism for that.
Altmaier is soothing and after the economic summit spoke of "having solved the problems".
He seems to have briefly disregarded the problems of numerous companies facing financial ruin.
Streeck's proposal with the corona traffic light could at least stimulate the topic of "opening perspective".
(ks / dpa) * Merkur.de is part of the Ippen digital network
List of rubric lists: © Kira Hofmann