The Hörlkofener asylum accommodation was affected by Corona for the fourth time - a challenging situation for the residents and the volunteers.
We talked about this with Ulla Dieckmann, coordinator of the Hörlkofen helper group.
Hörlkofen - The Hörlkofen asylum accommodation was affected by Corona for the fourth time - a challenging situation for the residents and the volunteer team of helpers. Last week, security people posted themselves in front of the container facility to ensure compliance with the quarantine, which applied to all residents, as they are viewed as a house community.
It is very important to the aid groups in the district that the authorities establish functioning internet connections for homeschooling, training and work in order to enable teaching and communication at a distance in the accommodation and to guarantee the right to education.
The helpers have also asked the district office to draw up a binding pandemic emergency plan with reliable emergency numbers that supports the volunteers, especially on public holidays and weekends.
Ulla Dieckmann, as coordinator of the Hörlkofen helper group, is committed to sustainable crisis management.
We talked to her.
Is it customary to use security in an asylum accommodation in a corona case, and who decides that?
Yes, it is a common practice.
It is important that everyone adheres to the quarantine.
This is decided by the district office in cooperation with the health department.
It serves to make the neighbors as well as the residents of the accommodation feel safe.
We have had very good experiences with the security services, which were also direct contacts on site for the refugees.
How do you cope with the current situation and what tasks have you taken on?
I was in good contact with the residents of the accommodation and the social pedagogue of the district office over the phone, so I knew what was needed.
Communication is essential with the community and the fire department in the event of an emergency.
This time the biggest problem was the unstable internet.
The trainees in the accommodation could not take part in vocational school lessons.
One resident is currently about to take the intermediate examination.
The training company advises that the trainee will have problems catching up on the subject matter due to the fourth quarantine.
How were the residents supplied with food and everyday items in the quarantine?
They were provided with meals by a catering service commissioned by the district administration.
Special items for daily needs and medicines that were needed were obtained and distributed by the asylum management of the district office.
During the third quarantine in the Christmas season, we from the helper group put together food and games, especially to make the time more bearable for the children.
What are the biggest challenges in corona crisis management?
We do not know at all how the infection process is developing in the accommodation, as everyone lives together in a confined space.
At the end of December, one resident was very ill due to her infection, and a heavily pregnant woman was about to give birth to her child.
Due to the holidays, we could not reach anyone in the district office or the health department.
It is a challenge to assess the gravity of the situation over the phone.
So we were forced to act.
In addition, there was a smoldering fire in the accommodation on a Friday evening at the beginning of January.
How did the residents deal with the tense situation?
At first they were shocked that they were already in quarantine again.
Some were afraid of losing their jobs or joining the vocational school due to the renewed quarantine period.
It was particularly difficult for the children in the narrow space.
They all handled it very well and there was obviously no major conflict.
What else would be necessary to sustainably improve the situation for all those affected?
We urgently need a stable internet connection in all accommodations.
The district volunteers have been calling for this for a long time, and it cannot be passed on to volunteers.
The district office is responsible for accommodation and asylum management, including signing a contract for stable internet access - and please do so promptly.
We also need a transparent, comprehensible emergency plan, emergency numbers on weekends, in corona times, but also afterwards.
In our case, it is a stroke of luck that the helpers and the community work closely together.
The interview was conducted by Vroni Vogel.