Germany is far from taming the coronavirus.
The further action of the federal government suggests that the end of the pandemic will still last.
Munich - The corona infection numbers suddenly stop falling, branches of industry are frozen and vaccine procurement is inadequate.
In addition, the different handling of the federal states with the measures in the fight against the pandemic has caused all kinds of confusion among the people.
The fact that the corona policy of the federal government and many regions was anything but satisfactory is evidence of some problems that have not improved as hoped even during the second lockdown.
The question is what, in the light of recent developments, is the political strategy to defeat the stubborn virus and its forms of mutation.
From March, the federal government will provide rapid corona tests for all German citizens.
Many experts cannot believe that this undertaking will run smoothly.
"Free beer for everyone is easier to implement than quick tests for everyone," says the head of the Association of German Laboratory Doctors, Andreas Bobrowski, in
Bild
.
Corona rapid test: can it be distributed fairly?
Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) had announced that all citizens
can then be tested for the corona
virus in test centers or
pharmacies with free rapid tests.
Ute Teichert, chairwoman of the
Federal Association of Doctors in the Public Health Service, told the
Funke
media group: "It is of
no use in fighting a pandemic simply to offer many free tests." Instead, she misses "a strategy and clear rules".
So the scenario is almost obvious that the action brought forward from April to March presents many institutions with difficulties again, as has already happened with the uneven distribution of vaccines.
Because while numerous high-risk patients are still waiting for their first vaccination dose, people who are less at risk have already received the second vaccination against Sars-CoV-2.
Another problem child is the Astrazeneca vaccine.
In the debate about the suitability and side effects, physicians and head of department Spahn are trying to dispel doubts about the vaccine, which is under special observation.
However, it will be a while before the concerns about the recent debate disappear entirely.
Government spokesman Steffen Seibert has meanwhile commented on what the plans for easing for Easter 2021 look like:
Corona vaccination: government fears shortage of syringes - general practitioners are waiting for signs
The next problem is the looming gap in the supply of vaccination syringes.
The federal government has had this point on its radar for a long time, and discussions with the relevant associations have already taken place.
The reason for this assumption is a well-known one: Similar to the vaccines themselves, uncoordinated processes in individual federal states create bottlenecks because in some places too many medical utensils are ordered and in other places these capacities are lacking.
It is mainly about syringes, needles and saline solutions.
It has long been planned that general practitioners will also become active and administer vaccinations as part of the fight against corona.
Berlin plans that this innovation will be possible nationwide in Germany from April.
Associations do not sound particularly optimistic in view of this plan.
Here, too, bottlenecks in the delivery of the accessories are expected, let alone that all doctors receive a vaccine.
"General practitioners have been in the starting blocks for weeks, and for weeks we have been signaling to politicians: We are ready to vaccinate in our practices," says Ulrich Weigeldt, Chairman of the German Association of General Practitioners.
However, the Federal Government has not yet contacted them.
Meanwhile, a new study clears up a widespread misconception: So many corona deaths really died from the virus.
(PF)