The corona numbers keep rising.
But it will take a few days before the Chancellor and Prime Minister consult again.
Scientists are almost pleading for a change of course.
Berlin - Before the top meeting of the federal and state governments on the dramatic corona situation, the pressure for decisive action is growing.
In an appeal, 35 leading medical professionals and other experts call on governments to change course quickly.
The Executive Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) takes the same line herself: "It has always helped us when the federal and state governments act and commit to uniform rules," she said in her video podcast published on Saturday. Even from the ranks of the Greens there is now criticism of the coalition negotiating partners SPD, Greens and FDP's plan to let the special status of the epidemic situation expire on a national scale. The Bundeswehr wants to mobilize 12,000 soldiers to support overburdened clinics and health departments.
The 35 researchers, led by internist Michael Hallek and virologist Melanie Brinkmann, complain “the repeated negligence in dealing with the well-being of people who depend on the protection of the state”. They warn: “Every day of waiting costs human lives.” In the appeal published by the “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger” and editorial network Germany, they call for a national crisis team with experts and practitioners from virology, medicine and companies.
Merkel referred to the so-called hospitalization index, which indicates the number of corona patients in the hospitals: In order for the correct conclusions to be drawn, the federal and state governments would have to agree “very quickly” on a common threshold value, “from which in each case corresponding to regional infection values, additional steps to contain the pandemic could be initiated beyond the measures currently in force.
You and the Prime Ministers want to discuss further measures next Thursday.
45,000 new infections, incidence at 277
Meanwhile, the situation is dire. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported a good 45,000 new infections on Saturday - an incidence per 100,000 inhabitants and week of a good 277. A week ago there were around 34,000 infected people and an incidence of just under 184, a month ago it was 12,000 and a good 65 Berlin exceeded the incidence of 300, Thuringia 500 and Saxony 600. Among school children, who are often not vaccinated, partly because there is no vaccination recommendation for them, it is often many times higher. The hospitals are at their limit, especially in Saxony, Thuringia, Hesse and Bavaria, intensive care beds are becoming scarce.
Nevertheless, the coalition-forming parties SPD, Greens and FDP want to continue to allow the special status of the epidemic situation of national scope to expire on November 25 and replace it with a more restricted catalog of measures in the Infection Protection Act.
The Green Health Ministers of Hesse, Brandenburg and Baden-Württemberg, on the other hand, are calling for an extension of the special legal situation, which would allow contact and exit restrictions even without renewed approval of the Bundestag.
"This ensures that all the measures required by the experts can be implemented," says a statement by Kai Klose (Hesse), Ursula Nonnemacher (Brandenburg) and Manne Lucha (Baden-Württemberg), which the German press Agency is present.
Bundestag is to vote on Thursday
The Bundestag is due to vote on the change on Thursday. The Union parliamentary group wants to apply for an extension of the special status, as reported by the "Rheinische Post" (Saturday). In addition, according to dpa information, she proposes changes for the revision of the Infection Protection Act planned by the traffic light parties: Employers should be given the right to ask questions in order to be able to determine the vaccination status of their employees; Gaps in criminal liability for falsifying vaccination passports are to be closed.
Because of the loss of control over the pandemic, according to a report by "Spiegel", the Bundeswehr wants to mobilize 12,000 soldiers to support overburdened clinics and health departments by Christmas due to the worsening corona situation.
Uniformed helpers should therefore also be available for booster vaccinations and rapid tests in front of nursing homes and hospitals.
In addition, free quick tests are now again possible for everyone.
A regulation has been in effect since Saturday, with which the offer of free “citizen tests”, which was severely restricted only a month ago, is being reintroduced across the board.
The certificates from test centers and pharmacies can also serve as evidence for access rules to certain indoor spaces and events.
The acting Federal Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer (CSU) hopes that the federal / state meeting will bring nationwide regulations.
“We must no longer confuse the population,” he told the “Augsburger Allgemeine” (Saturday).
"Vaccination centers open, vaccination centers closed - continued payment of wages in quarantine yes, then no again - free test, subject to a fee.
Yes, did anyone seriously believe that someone else would be tested on their own account if they did not receive any continued wages after being in quarantine? "
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The FDP chairman Christian Lindner told the editorial network Germany (Saturday) that the debate about the end of the epidemic situation was "misleading".
"This word refers to special legal powers of the government, which the parliament can exercise."
Bundestag President Bärbel Bas (SPD) advised not to have larger Christmas parties.
"I appeal to everyone to refrain from major celebrations," she told the newspapers of the Funke media group (Saturday).
The director of the Institute for the German Economy in Cologne (IW), Michael Hüther, suggested financial sanctions for those who refused to be vaccinated, such as higher insurance premiums or deductibles, as he wrote in an article for “Die Welt”.
dpa