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Saxony Prime Minister Kretschmer: "The situation is highly dramatic"
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Robert Michael / dpa
Saxony is reacting to the high number of infections by tightening its corona measures.
"2G is no longer enough," said Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) at a press conference to justify the stricter rules.
"The situation is highly dramatic."
As of Monday, all cultural and leisure facilities in the state will be closed.
Libraries are excluded from this.
Bars, clubs and discos, however, remain closed.
The 2G rule applies in the catering and retail sectors.
"Freedom without responsibility is called egoism," said Kretschmer.
It is clear that large events have to be canceled.
Christmas markets will not take place either.
Day care centers and schools, on the other hand, should remain open.
"The low vaccination rate is the real reason for this situation," said Kretschmer.
In a state-wide comparison, Saxony has one of the lowest vaccination rates.
Saxony is currently the federal state most severely affected by the fourth wave of the pandemic.
The seven-day incidence there is higher than anywhere else, and the vaccination rate is also the lowest.
This can also be seen in the stress on the clinics, which are increasingly reaching their limits.
Kretschmer had therefore already announced on Thursday that further tough countermeasures were already necessary in his state.
Stricter rules also in other federal states
In view of the increasing number of infections and growing pressure on the health system, other federal states also announced tightening after the federal-state meeting on Thursday.
The Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) announced that public life should be shut down in large areas in corona hotspots with a seven-day incidence of more than 1000.
Söder announced in the morning that there should be a "de facto lockdown" for unvaccinated people in Bavaria.
This is achieved through the nationwide 2G rule.
There will also be contact restrictions for unvaccinated people.
These can meet with a maximum of five people from two households.
Baden-Württemberg's Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) also announced rapid additional measures.
In his country, a so-called 2G-Plus rule will be introduced in areas with a high risk of infection such as discos and bars.
The measures also included "possible curfews for unvaccinated people in hotspot regions," he said on Thursday.
The state of Hesse will implement the new measures adopted by the federal and state governments to protect against the corona virus from next Thursday.
Then, for example, the 2G regulation will apply in the interior of sports facilities and restaurants, said Prime Minister Volker Bouffier (CDU) on Friday in Wiesbaden.
The head of government spoke of a "drastic regulation" for unvaccinated people.
The 3G rule applies to the workplace and public transport, 2G to hotels and 3G to business trips.
Discos, bars and prostitution businesses are subject to the so-called 2G-Plus regime.
So vaccinated and convalescent people will also need a daily test in the future.
asc / AFP