The city of Dortmund and Armin Laschet's government have had a violent dispute.
NRW prohibits school closings - despite increasing corona infections.
The indignation is great.
Munich / Dortmund - The next Zoff in the coronavirus pandemic in Germany is announced.
The focus: the schools.
On Tuesday afternoon (March 16), the city of Dortmund (around 588,000 inhabitants) announced on Twitter, among other things, that it wanted to "close immediately" all schools because of the corona numbers.
A short-term commitment from the Ministry of Schools and Education of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia is expected, according to the city administration.
Coronavirus pandemic: NRW prohibits Dortmund from closing schools
But: This promise did not come.
On the contrary: Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU) from the state government of Prime Minister Armin Laschet (CDU) refused to close the educational institutions in the afternoon due to the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in schools.
“We are firmly convinced that at this moment it makes absolutely no sense to open the schools.
That is why we have the urgent appeal to the school minister to end the school opening and the ramp-up of face-to-face teaching immediately, ”Mayor Thomas Westphal (SPD) had previously said.
Westphal had justified his request with the provisional vaccination ban with the Astrazeneca vaccine in Germany.
Schools in Dortmund: Despite rising corona numbers - the state of North Rhine-Westphalia prohibits closing schools
But his application was rejected by the state government in Düsseldorf.
The city administration's Twitter channel remained silent until Tuesday evening, 8:15 p.m.
At the same time, the city of Bochum (around 366,000 inhabitants) showed solidarity with the Dortmund colleagues.
In Bochum, too, the Dortmund initiative to close schools met with a lot of sympathy.
"We are concerned about the state government's rejection of Dortmund's intention to suspend classroom teaching," said OB @thomas_eiskirch (1/2)
- City of Bochum (@bochum_de) March 16, 2021
"We are concerned about the state government's rejection of Dortmund's intention to suspend classroom teaching," said Mayor and party member Thomas Eiskirch (SPD) on Twitter: "Infections in 29 schools are more than just a warning sign.
Minister Gebauer had refused to return to schools with alternating lessons when the incidence was falling.
Now she wants to do the alternating lessons with all her might - despite the increasing numbers. "
Yvonne Gebauer (FDP), Minister for Schools and Education, and Health Minister Laumann are now under criticism.
There was great indignation on social media.
A user wrote on Twitter: In #Dortmund, the children should go back to school tomorrow, says #Laumann!
He refuses to close!
Words fail me! ”In the rest of the country, meanwhile, there seems to be a wave of opening rejections.
Corona Zoff between Dortmund and NRW: Great indignation on Twitter and social media
One user said: “On site, those responsible recognize the urgency.
Any protective measure is prohibited from Düsseldorf.
I am out of words.
Just anger. ”And a Twitter user criticized:“ Dear Mr. #Laumann, our children are not responsible for the fact that an OB does more to protect them than the responsible state minister! ”
The confusion was great.
And, as of Tuesday evening, 8.30 p.m., it was not clear how the schools in Dortmund and North Rhine-Westphalia would continue.
One thing was certain: the topic was already polarizing enormously in the Corona crisis at this point in time.
(pm)