Corona in Germany: decision on fourth vaccine in the EU should be made soon

While Germany can apparently look forward to the first easing of the corona pandemic, another vaccine could be approved soon.

All information in the news ticker.

• The corona virus * is also spreading in Germany.

• Another vaccine could soon be approved in Germany.

  (Update from March 2, 9:35 p.m.)

• Meanwhile, a federal state changes its previous vaccination sequence.

  (Update from March 2, 3:50 p.m.)

• This news ticker is continuously updated.

Update from March 2, 9:35 p.m.:

Within the EU - and thus also in Germany - another vaccine could soon come onto the market.

As the European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced on Tuesday evening via Twitter, a decision on the approval of the corona vaccine from the US manufacturer Johnson & Johnson will be made on March 11.

The EMA had previously announced that it would not deal with the vaccine and its approval until mid-March at the earliest.

If the Johnson & Johnson product is approved, it would be the fourth approved corona vaccine in the EU.

In contrast to the previously approved vaccines from Pfizer / Biontech, Moderna and AstraZeneca, one vaccine dose is sufficient for the serum from Johnson & Johnson.

In addition, its storage is considered much easier.

Corona in Germany: drugstores want to sell self-tests next week

Update from March 2, 7:39 p.m.:

Germany's large drugstore

chains

want to offer corona self-tests from next week.

After “dm” on Monday, competitor “Rossmann” announced the sale one day later.

If the planned delivery dates of the manufacturers are met, the tests will be sold in the branches from the middle of next week.

In addition, they are working “at full speed” to include other manufacturers of approved corona rapid tests in their range.

At "dm" it had been declared that it would "probably" be able to offer the rapid tests from March 9th.

However, both drugstore chains did not want to give any price information.

Corona in Germany: Chancellor Merkel is planning an extensive test strategy

Update from March 2, 5:37 p.m.:

In the coming months, Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) is planning a broad-based test strategy to secure the desired easing after the corona lockdown.

According to dpa information, Merkel announced in an online meeting of the Union parliamentary group that the federal government is planning for the months of April, May and June.

Afterwards, the vaccination will have such a dominant effect that the scope of the test can be reduced, Merkel added.

The Chancellor added that there is currently not enough corona self-tests in Germany.

However, this could change soon, there are currently 96 applications for approval of new self-tests.

According to Merkel's information, it is expected that 40 producers will be able to make valid offers.

Merkel emphasized that it would probably take until the end of March to develop a comprehensive security strategy for possible openings.

Schools and daycare centers should be given priority.

Corona in Germany: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania changes its vaccination sequence

Update from March 2, 3:50 p.m.:

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) announced that she would release the AstraZeneca corona vaccine in her state for people from priority group two.

You couldn't afford to leave vaccine doses lying around, she said.

Video: Coronavirus: What will the Corona summit bring?

In the vaccination centers in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, numerous appointments for vaccination with AstraZeneca had not been kept in the past few days.

Therefore, the vaccine should also be made available for educators, teachers, police officers in the field and general practitioners as well as for the chronically ill, explained Schwesig.

Corona in Germany: Kretschmann does not want to open anything except hardware stores

Update from March 2, 2:20 p.m.:

It was the surprise on Tuesday: while many experts are warning of a third wave of pandemics, cautious opening

steps

could be decided in Germany on Wednesday.

At least that's the plan, according to the first leaked details.

But Baden-Württemberg's Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann sees no quick opening steps shortly before the federal-state conference on the corona lockdown.

When asked what other than hardware stores could be opened quickly, the Green politician said on Tuesday in Stuttgart: “First of all, nothing.” The number of infections per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days is still the decisive factor in the question of how strong one can loosen - and the 7-day incidence is increasing again.

It is true that openings can soon be tackled with mass rapid and self-tests, but that cannot be done overnight.

"That is a great organizational effort." The test infrastructure must already be there, "so that you can combine the test strategy with the opening strategy," said the Green politician.

Kretschmann said about regionally different openings: “It's always a ride on a ridge.” A regional approach is useful, but communicatively difficult.

"I can't escape the problem."

Corona: Germany is struggling to relax the lockdown - meanwhile, a mass outbreak discovered in NRW

Original message from March 2, 2020:

Berlin - The coronavirus seems to have spread more slowly in Germany in recent weeks than it did at the beginning of winter due to the strict measures and the lockdown * decided by politicians.

On Wednesday, Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Prime Ministers of the federal states discussed how to proceed, the first details leaked out in advance.

Meanwhile, NRW recorded the next major mass outbreak.

Corona in Germany: First details before Merkel's Corona summit - are the first easings coming?

The spring-like temperatures of the last few days are likely to have intensified the need of many citizens for easing of the coronavirus pandemic.

While the first details were already leaked before the Corona summit, which may indicate easing, a mass outbreak in North Rhine-Westphalia is now once again highlighting concerns about a third wave.

As the

WAZ

now

reports, citing the city of Herne, at least 43 construction workers are said to have been infected with the corona virus on a construction site in Herne in the Ruhr area.

The particularly contagious virus mutation from Great Britain was also found in some of them.

While some experts warn of excessive opening steps for fear of a third wave triggered by mutations, Chancellor Merkel and the prime ministers of the federal states could decide on initial easing measures on Wednesday.

According to a report, the federal and state governments are aiming for a fundamental extension of the lockdown until March 28 - but there should be further easing at the same time.

As early as Monday, less strict contact

restrictions

should apply, reported

Bild

and

Business Insider

magazine

on Tuesday, citing a draft resolution from Monday evening.

+

All eyes are on the Corona summit.

(Archive image)

© Markus Schreiber / dpa

Corona in Germany: When can the retail trade open again?

Corona summit on Wednesday

Bookstores, flower shops and garden centers should therefore be allowed to open uniformly in all federal states - there is currently a patchwork quilt here.

The prerequisite are hygiene concepts and a limitation to one customer per 20 square meters.

Depending on the infection, the draft shows further opening perspectives.

With a seven-day incidence of less than 35, retail should be allowed to open.

This had already been agreed at the previous federal-state round on February 10th.

According to the report, however, the federal and state governments also want to introduce an “emergency brake”.

The specific measures to control the corona pandemic in the next few weeks will then be announced on Wednesday.

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