The corona numbers are increasing and Easter is getting closer.
At the big federal-state summit around Chancellor Merkel, there is tough haggling over new travel rules.
On Monday, Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) * and the heads of government of the federal states discussed the further corona rules in Germany.
You can read all the important resolutions here.
Federal and state governments agreed with the airlines a general test mandatory before return flights to Germany
(see Update of 23 March, 02:50)
.
This news ticker is updated regularly.
Update from March 23, 3 p.m .:
Chancellor Angela Merkel made people sit up and take notice after the Corona summit with a “tip” about travel: “Overall, I'm not hiding the fact that we are actually giving the travel advice that you won't travel this year should “, said Merkel according to the official transcript of the federal government at the summit press conference.
Spokesman Steffen Seibert was apparently even forced to clarify after an alarmed report by Bild: Merkel had spoken about Easter and the following weeks.
“All of the comments she made on the subject of travel refer exclusively to this period.” So there is no need to fear a general travel shutdown.
But the travel decisions of the summit met with fierce criticism.
The German Holiday House Association (DFV) has criticized the extended lockdown decided by the federal and state governments as an "absolute catastrophe".
"We are upset," said Michelle Schwefel from the DFV on Tuesday.
“Politicians owe the industry a perspective.
Again. "A wave of cancellations will now break out through agents and landlords.
The DFV understands that in the third corona wave one has to act with caution, explained Schwefel.
"But hygiene concepts, self-sufficiency and self-sufficient travel by car would have made a responsible start to tourism possible."
Summit excitement: Merkel spokesman makes travel clarification - Kretschman sees "real arguments"
Baden-Württemberg's Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) also sees problems.
He has sharply criticized the holiday flights to Mallorca, which are permitted domestically, despite the tough Corona requirements.
"That brings us into real need for argument," said Kretschmann on Tuesday.
Kretschmann admitted that vacation flights to the Balearic Island are allowed, but not vacation in the Black Forest, for legal reasons.
However, he criticized the attitude of the federal government on this question: "I would have liked to see more creativity from the federal government so that we can prevent that".
Meanwhile, regional policy on Mallorca is rowing back itself: “Easter is not a priority for us.
It is important to secure the summer season, ”the newspaper
Diario de Mallorca
quoted
the Balearic Minister of Economic Affairs Iago Negueruela.
The fact that tourists are still allowed to arrive is not a matter for Mallorca, but is the responsibility of the governments of Spain and Germany, he emphasized.
However, two weeks ago, the head of government of the Balearic Islands, Francina Armengol, had expressly invited Germans to spend their Easter holidays in Mallorca.
Travel in times of pandemic: Corona summit brings innovation for air travel to Germany
Update from March 23, 7:30 a.m .:
“The federal and state governments continue to urge all citizens to refrain from travel that is not absolutely necessary at home and abroad,” says the resolution paper of the Corona summit.
It does not stop at admonitions.
In the future, airlines should have travelers tested for Corona before departing for Germany.
According to Chancellor Merkel, Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer (CSU) has agreed a corresponding agreement with the airlines for those returning from Mallorca.
The CDU boss and North Rhine-Westphalian Prime Minister Armin Laschet has massively criticized the federal government for lifting the travel warning for the holiday island of Mallorca and removing the island from the list of risk areas.
"Now is not the time to travel," said Laschet, according to dpa, early Tuesday morning in Düsseldorf after the end of the Corona summit.
The lifting of the travel warning led to many discussions in the federal-state talks because "there is unequal treatment here with German tourist destinations," said Laschet.
You could have “saved yourself” that if you had waited until after Easter.
After the Corona summit with Chancellor Merkel: Travel "not very beneficial"
Update from March 23, 2.50 a.m.:
Now the federal government and the states could still agree!
Chancellor Merkel appeared before the press in the middle of the night.
"We advise against all trips abroad," she emphasized.
She pointed out the obligation to quarantine for travel returnees from risk areas.
But travel is generally considered to be “not very beneficial”.
That is why it was agreed with the airlines that they would establish tests before departure before returning to Germany.
In addition, the Infection Protection Act is to be changed: A general obligation to test before departure for return flights to Germany is to be introduced.
Update from March 23, 2.12:
The Corona summit is back!
Furthermore, there is still no final solution.
But now a new draft for the final round provides new facts.
According to
ntv
information, there is also a passage on trips abroad.
Since Covid mutants could easily spread during such trips, "the federal and state governments expect all airlines to carry out rigorous tests by crews and passengers before the return flight and no further expansion of flights during the Easter holidays," the portal quotes.
In addition, the Infection Protection Act is to be changed: Then a general test obligation before departure is to become an entry requirement for travel returnees.
Update from March 22nd, 9.41 p.m.:
The dispute over the "
low-
contact vacation" in Germany is evidently becoming the ultimate test for the Corona summit.
The round has been interrupted for almost two hours.
Chancellor Merkel is apparently vehemently against a protocol note.
These in turn require a
picture
report for the federal states of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Schleswig-Holstein, Saxony-Anhalt, Lower Saxony and Rhineland-Palatinate.
During the Corona summit: the number of infections on Mallorca is increasing - loosening will soon be a thing of the past
Update from March 22, 8:57 p.m.:
While the Corona summit around Angela Merkel and the country leaders is still running, there is sobering news from Mallorca.
Because of the increasing number of new infections, the Balearic Government wants to close the recently opened interiors of cafés and restaurants.
This is reported by the German-language
Mallorca newspaper
.
The innovation should be decided this week.
According to a report by the
Diario de Mallorca,
the government is also thinking of new restrictions on trade.
Although the numbers on Mallorca are still low compared to Germany, they have increased recently.
The 7-day incidence rose from 19.9 to 29.8 within a week, as reported by the
Mallorca newspaper
.
Update from March 22nd, 8:04 p.m.:
Do
those
returning from Mallorca have to be in quarantine after all?
This fate threatened the German vacationers after the first draft resolutions.
But now there is obviously hope - thanks to Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer.
As the
picture
reports, many German airlines are said to be willing to test the holidaymakers themselves and that on the island before their return flight.
We are talking about TUI, Condor, Eurowings and Lufthansa.
In total, it is about 40,000 return travelers.
We are currently looking for locations for the tests.
According to the report, Andreas Scheuer had advocated this step in the last few hours and phoned the companies.
The subject of foreign travel was controversial within the Union even before the summit.
This solution could now be a compromise.
Corona summit: "Low-contact vacation" is becoming a point of contention
Update from March 22nd, 7:00 p.m.:
Bad news for Mallorca tourists?
According to a report by
Bild
, the Federal Chancellor Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer is said to have entrusted the task of asking the airlines whether they can test passengers for the corona virus after entering Germany.
According to the current status, travelers returning from the Balearic Islands no longer need a negative corona test, as the RKI no longer classifies the archipelago as a risk area.
The order to Scheuer could now suggest that the federal government wants to put a stop to Mallorca tourism.
However, the deliberations are still ongoing.
In the meantime, the concept of "low-contact vacation" is said to have become the biggest point of contention, as the paper continues to report.
This would make self-catering holidays possible in holiday homes in their own country.
According to the picture report, Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Rhineland-Palatinate want to make it clear in an additional protocol declaration that they want to implement this concept.
Chancellor Merkel is said to have protested sharply: “In the midst of exponential growth, that's wrong.
It is the wrong decision at the wrong time, ”the newspaper quoted the Chancellor as saying.
Corona summit: Cancellation of special rules at Easter and domestic travel are probably fixed
Update from March 22nd, 6:52 p.m.: When it comes to
Easter, there is apparently little good news from Berlin.
As the
dpa
writes, citing various media reports, the applicable contact rules at Easter should not be relaxed.
In a previous draft resolution it was said: "Unlike the lockdown over Easter last year, visits to relatives should be possible this year."
Update from March 22nd, 5:52 p.m.:
It is the big controversial topic at the Corona summit on Monday evening.
German vacationers do not need to show a negative corona test when they return from their Mallorca vacation, nor do they have to go into quarantine.
This circumstance also provides plenty of material for discussion at the Prime Minister's Conference.
“Personally, I'm not one of the Mallorca drivers,”
bild.de
quotes
the Chancellor during the MPK.
Especially against the background that domestic travel should not be an option (see update from March 22nd, 4:50 p.m.), there is further discussion about how to deal with travelers to Mallorca.
The topic is said to have caused Zoff in Merkel's Corona cabinet before, reports the paper.
In terms of domestic holidays, the Prime Ministers of Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Schleswig-Holstein are said to have not been able to prevail.
They should not have found a majority for their model, with which travel within their own country could have been possible.
The proposal should now only be added to the declaration as a protocol
note
, reports about
ntv
.
Corona summit: no more hope of a vacation in Germany?
Update from March 22nd, 4:50 p.m.:
The "low-contact vacation" was a concern in the northern federal states, but apparently this attempt fell victim to a compromise in the struggle for the next summit resolution - as did special contact rules at Easter (see previous update).
In a draft resolution dated at 2:55 p.m., which is available to
Merkur.de
*, holidays are only an issue in the context of a warning, especially against trips abroad and thoughts of stricter quarantine rules.
Domestic travel options are no longer discussed.
Since overnight stays in hotels and other accommodations are only allowed in the context of business trips, this could mean the end of hopes for an Easter holiday in Germany.
However, negotiations are still going on at the moment.
The latest version of the paper also states: "The federal and state governments continue to urge all citizens to refrain from travel that is not absolutely necessary at home and abroad - also with regard to the upcoming Easter days."
Corona summit: Easter contacts off the table again?
Update from March 22nd, 4.10 p.m.:
There was talk of special Easter rules for contact restrictions.
At least in an earlier draft resolution there was the idea to allow a few more contacts on the holidays
(see update from 11:05 a.m.)
.
But this could now be withdrawn: As
Business Insider
reports, the federal and state governments have agreed to delete this special family regulation from the paper.
The background is the infection process.
However, this decision is not final yet, because the Corona summit is ongoing.
Update from March 22nd, 3:10 p.m.:
On the day of the Corona summit, the Foreign Ministry once again warned against traveling abroad: The lifting of a travel warning is not an “invitation to go somewhere”, affirmed Ministry spokeswoman Andrea Sasse in the afternoon at the federal press conference with reference to head of department Heiko Maas (SPD) *.
A possible return campaign is currently not planned, she emphasized when asked by a journalist.
Traveling in Corona times: Easter meetings with relatives possible?
The discussion is ongoing
Update from March 22nd, 1:20 p.m.:
On Monday morning, a new draft resolution with special rules for contact restrictions at Easter surprised
(see update from March 22nd, 11:05 a.m.)
.
This could make it possible to visit relatives on the holidays - a household plus four other people plus children up to the age of 14 is under discussion.
But nothing is firmly decided yet.
Because as the
picture
now reports, some prime ministers want to tip this point.
So no exceptions like at Christmas?
Wait.
Update from March 22nd, 11.50 a.m.:
Germany is fighting the corona virus, many people adhere to strict contact restrictions and at the same time flights to Mallorca are taking off.
In the eyes of many, this is incomprehensible.
Apparently also for Bundestag President Wolfgang Schäuble.
He is said to have been beside himself in the CDU presidium meeting: "I can't explain to people why there are special flights to Mallorca," he said, according to the picture info.
Bernd Althusmann (CDU), Lower Saxony's Minister of Economics, is also angry: “Opening Mallorca is incomprehensible.
You can't explain that. ”He also criticized the Foreign Office for the decision to lift the travel warning - because the number of infections on the island was low.
Recently, the federal government has repeatedly appealed to citizens to refrain from tourist trips at home and abroad.
On the other hand, so-called “low-contact vacation” is currently being discussed
(see update from March 22nd, 10:35 am).
There may be a final decision on this after the Corona summit in the afternoon.
Before the Corona summit with Merkel today: Special rules for Easter should come
Update from March 22nd, 11:05 a.m.:
Special rules for Easter?
That now seems possible!
According to a new draft resolution - which is also available to
Mercury
- for the Corona summit on Monday afternoon, the countries want to enforce this.
Even if there are incidences of more than 100 in counties and only two meetings are possible again, there should be an exception at Easter, i.e. from April 2nd to 5th.
Then it should be possible to meet four family members in one's own household, not including children up to 14 years of age.
Update from March 22nd, 10:35 a.m.:
From 2 p.m., Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and the heads of government of the countries will advise on the further rules in the fight against the corona pandemic.
Shortly before Easter, the topic of vacation will probably be discussed longer - keyword “low-contact vacation”
(see update from March 21st, 8.42pm)
.
In the ZDF “Morgenmagazin”, Lower Saxony's Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD) * said on Monday: “If we limit ourselves to vacation forms that are purely self-sufficient and only take place nearby (...), then we run the risk significantly reduced. "
However, Weil criticized the fact that trips to Mallorca have been possible again since mid-March because of the lower number of infections there, without quarantine and mandatory testing on return.
"We notice that the Mallorca decision of the federal government is a real mood killer," said the head of government of the Tui home country.
"I think we have to talk today about whether this decision is actually carved in stone or not."
FDP leader Christian Lindner also commented on the program.
He advocated compulsory testing for returnees.
"You can ask for that," he said.
This is a question of responsibility.
The FDP is in favor of the widespread use of tests.
That also applies “at the airports, of course”.
Easter holiday despite rising incidences?
Corona summit (March 22) advises on possible mandatory testing and quarantine
Update from March 21, 8:42 p.m.:
A new draft resolution for the upcoming federal-state summit has reached the media - the paper that
Merkur.de
* is available and probably comes from the Chancellery also addresses potential vacations.
In view of the upcoming Easter days, the draft says: "The federal and state governments continue to urgently appeal to all citizens to refrain from traveling in Germany and abroad that are not absolutely necessary".
And further: "The appearance of various Covid-19 variants and their worldwide distribution have shown that cross-border travel must continue to be limited to the absolutely necessary minimum." This passage could affect the currently particularly controversial trips by Germans to Mallorca Respectively.
Two concrete proposals are noted in square brackets - and thus apparently controversial.
On the one hand, the "low-contact vacation" (see update from 11:59 am) is being debated, on the other hand there is a strict regulation for those returning home.
"Travel, especially vacation trips abroad, must therefore be combined with an epidemiologically required quarantine and an obligation to test before return and when entering the Federal Republic of Germany, regardless of incidences in the destination country", says the template.
Update from March 21, 6:17 p.m.:
Despite the sharp rise in the number of corona infections, a majority of Germans would like hotels and restaurants to open at the beginning of the Easter holidays.
This was the result of a YouGov survey commissioned by the German Press Agency.
The coastal states of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Schleswig Holstein and Lower Saxony made the specific proposal on Sunday to also allow Easter holidays in this country.
However, this should only be allowed in one's own federal state and only for self-caterers with their own sanitary facilities - for example in holiday apartments, holiday homes or mobile homes.
Short breaks in Germany are not possible according to the applicable Corona regulations.
The decision of the federal government to remove Mallorca from the list of corona risk areas and thus also to lift the travel warning from the Federal Foreign Office caused head shaking.
Schleswig-Holstein's Prime Minister Daniel Günther (CDU) said: "I cannot understand why the federal government considers a holiday on Mallorca to be safer than an Easter weekend with mandatory testing in a holiday apartment on the North or Baltic Sea." As the number of infections increases, continue to be careful and vigilant.
According to the coastal state proposal, a prerequisite for a vacation in one's own country would be a negative antigen test shortly before arrival.
Survey: More than half of Germans are in favor of opening hotels
According to the YouGov survey, 52 percent are in favor of allowing hotels and other accommodation providers to reopen with appropriate hygiene and distance rules.
14 percent are even in favor of unrestricted opening.
Only 25 percent of those surveyed think that the hotels should remain closed during the Easter holidays.
9 percent did not provide any information.
Around three quarters of those surveyed are in favor of opening up restaurants, beer gardens, pubs and cafés.
32 percent say that guests should only be able to be entertained outside at Easter under certain conditions.
Another 34 percent are in favor of opening up the interior with conditions.
11 percent want to allow the innkeepers to open without conditions.
Only 16 percent say restaurants and pubs should remain closed.
+
The pier and beach promenade in the Baltic Sea resort is deserted.
© Stefan Sauer / dpa
Update from March 21, 12.49 p.m.:
According to the head of the Chancellery, Helge Braun, the summit template, which is reported by various media, does NOT come from the Chancellery.
According to
picture
information, the paper comes from the SPD-governed federal states.
Nevertheless, the paper gives an outlook on what could be possible.
Travel in your own federal state should be possible under certain conditions (see update from March 21, 11:59 a.m.).
Travel abroad, on the other hand, should be strictly limited.
Regardless of the incidence in the travel destination country, compulsory testing is to be introduced for travelers returning, according to the paper.
That would mean: Mallorca vacationers also have to take a test when they return.
Update from March 21, 11:59 a.m.:
Now a draft resolution has already
leaked
one day before the federal-state summit.
Accordingly, Angela Merkel wants to extend the lockdown.
But when it comes to travel and vacations, there is hope.
The
picture
quotes from the template as follows: "The concept of 'low-contact vacation' can be made possible for citizens of their own country, taking into account the applicable contact restrictions, strict hygiene requirements and the implementation of a test regime".
This would include overnight stays, where meals can be organized through self-sufficiency and own sanitary facilities can be used.
So that means: Holidays in holiday flats and apartments as well as in mobile homes could be possible in your own federal state.
However, according to the report, this passage is put in square brackets.
This should indicate that there is still a clear need for coordination between the federal and state governments.
In addition, the draft resolution speaks of a “special federal program” for tourism and related areas.
Means: They want to give the sector further assistance.
This program could therefore start if an opening at Easter is not possible due to the corona numbers.
Corona summit with Merkel: Easter vacation despite third wave?
First report from March 21: Berlin - The current Corona numbers in Germany are causing great concern.
The RKI warned days ago that the third wave had already reached Germany.
Hidden in his report, it was even mentioned that the incidence of the British mutant had been increasing exponentially for weeks. *
Corona summit: Easter vacation despite rising numbers?
In this situation, the Corona summit between the federal and state governments is now on the program on March 22nd.
Here Angela Merkel and the state princes actually wanted to discuss the easing of lockdowns based on the previously worked out 5-step plan.
Especially the upcoming Easter holidays should be a topic.
Many people recently hoped for easing - also to be able to visit their relatives on the holidays.
But after a year full of Corona * measures, many Germans also long for a vacation in general.
Even before Easter, many took the chance that Mallorca is no longer a risk area and traveled to the south *.
Corona summit with Merkel: Easter vacation?
Already in advance there is a threat of going it alone
That caused trouble in Germany.
On the one hand, many warn of the risks.
For example, Olaf Scholz: "If a lot of people go on Easter vacation on a grand scale, that endangers the summer vacation of all of us," said the finance minister shortly before the Merkel summit on BamS.
But Scholz also opened a back door: "Perhaps within a country it is possible to enable vacation homes to be used," said the SPD politician.
The prerequisite for this, however, is that the incidence values are correspondingly low.
Other politicians are angry that some are now flying to Mallorca, while holidays in Germany are not possible because of the existing measures.
For example, Prime Minister Malu Dreyer in Rhineland-Palatinate wants to facilitate easing despite the increasing number of infections.
Among other things, the outdoor catering is to open on March 22nd.
The aim is "that people can hike with us during the upcoming Easter holidays and stop in a garden restaurant instead of flying to Mallorca," says Dreyer.
And even in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Schleswig-Holstein, a number of hotels could open at Easter despite increasing numbers.
The Prime Ministers Daniel Günther and Manuela Schwesig had expressed their opinion in advance accordingly.
On the other hand, Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder has already ruled out further easing in view of the pandemic situation.
So hot discussions are pending at the federal-state summit.
(rjs) * merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
List of rubric lists: © Jesco Denzel / dpa
