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Michael Kretschmer (CDU, r), Prime Minister of Saxony, greets Markus Söder (CSU), Prime Minister of Bavaria at the former inner-German border
Photo: Sebastian Kahnert / dpa
Bavaria and Saxony have presented a joint ten-point plan to better cooperate locally in the fight against the corona virus.
This will be necessary because the number of new infections is rising again in the neighboring country of the Czech Republic, said Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) and Saxony's Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) at the joint presentation of the plan.
The measures include a modified »vaccination regime« for hotspot regions and aid for the neighboring country of the Czech Republic.
The new corona mutants are rampant in the Czech Republic, the incidence value is currently around 760 per 100,000 inhabitants - with regional peaks up to 1800. It is the highest value in the European Union.
The government in Prague recently tightened the nationwide lockdown.
Saxony and Bavaria each share national borders with the Czech Republic: Corona infections had recently risen again, particularly near the border, in Tirschenreuth in Bavaria and in Vogtland in Saxony.
Söder now warned that one must now be careful not to get into the third wave.
"It is important not to lose your nerve now," says Söder.
"We don't need an opening frenzy, but a clever and balanced opening." There must be a nationwide unit for the end of the lockdown, but regional adjustments must be allowed.
Vaccinations for everyone aged 18 and over - from now on
Specifically, Bavaria and Saxony want to increase the test capacities and the vaccination rate.
Districts that are particularly badly affected by Corona, such as the Saxon Vogtland, should now, according to Kretschmer, receive a preferred vaccination with AstraZeneca - for all residents aged 18 and over.
This would significantly deviate from the previous vaccination strategy of the federal government.
The federal-state round will have to decide on this question on Wednesday.
"The vaccination concept has to be completely revised, otherwise it will become deficiency management," said Söder.
In April at the latest, when more large deliveries are expected, the vaccination prioritization must be changed in order to immunize more people in a short time, especially in hotspots.
In order to increase capacities, family, school and company doctors should also be allowed to vaccinate.
According to SPIEGEL information, there was already a discussion on the vaccination plans on Friday between Prime Ministers Kretschmer, Bodo Ramelow (left) and Reiner Haseloff (CDU) with a view to the conference of the regional leaders with the Chancellor on Wednesday (MPK).
Kretschmer campaigned for a joint strategy against Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU), as it is called from the group.
The heads of government in the eastern states classify day commuters from the Czech Republic as a major problem.
In the neighboring country, there is an emergency in view of the acute corona situation.
This is one of the reasons why the joint concept of Saxony and Bavaria provides for help for the Czech Republic: Intensive care beds and rapid tests are to be delivered, but also initially 15,000 vaccine doses for people who live in the border region.
The Czech government wants to vaccinate commuters, so Kretschmer.
That would stabilize the region across borders.
The Bavarian-Saxon vaccination alliance is also supported by Thuringia.
Czech commuters also ensure high numbers in Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt
Thuringia has around 15,000 commuters from the Czech Republic in the East Thuringian region.
They currently do not come to the Thuringian companies via Saxony, which means that half the workforce is missing in some companies.
Saxony-Anhalt's head of state Haseloff also referred to regional peaks: In the north of his state, the values are well below 50, in the Burgenland district on the border with Thuringia, however, over 200. That is why he also wants to vaccinate extensively in the highly polluted district and establish a strong test strategy.
There are 5,000 commuters in the Burgenland district, many of them from the Czech Republic, who work, for example, in the Tönnies slaughterhouse in Weißenfels or in the Kaufland central warehouse.
All Prime Ministers advocate a uniform step-by-step plan.
However, Haseloff considers the number of 35 to be far too low.
He referred to the social climate.
It was agreed that the heads of the state chancelleries should continue to coordinate.
If there is no nationwide step-by-step plan, there should be a closely coordinated plan for Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia.
If there are different openings in retail, coordinated measures are necessary to prevent cross-border shopping tourism.
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