Stricter corona rules now apply in Berlin.
Unvaccinated people in particular have to be prepared for considerably more restrictions.
From the point of view of Health Senator Kalayci, that is not enough.
Berlin - In view of the rapid increase in the number of new corona infections, Berlin's Senator for Health Dilek Kalayci (SPD) considers a new lockdown to be necessary. "I call on the federal government to use a federal emergency brake," said the executive senator of the "Berliner Morgenpost" on Saturday. At the same time, she asked people in Berlin to avoid major events, especially indoors, in order to reduce the risk of infection.
The National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina has also called for immediate, comprehensive contact restrictions in view of the dynamic corona infection. "From a medical and epidemiological point of view, it is immediately effective to significantly reduce the number of contacts for a few weeks from the beginning of the coming week," said a statement published on Saturday. "Due to the decreasing immunity, these measures would have to apply temporarily to vaccinated and convalescent people who have to receive a booster vaccination during this time."
Stricter corona rules have been in place in Berlin since Saturday. This means that only vaccinated and convalescents have access to most shops. A negative test result is no longer enough. Exceptions include supermarkets, drug stores and pharmacies. As a result of the tightening, the retail sector expects a significant drop in sales. "We are already seeing a decrease in frequency," said the general manager of the Berlin-Brandenburg trade association, Nils Busch-Petersen. He reckons with a drop in sales of 15 to 30 or 40 percent.
At the same time, Busch-Petersen renewed his criticism of the implementation of the 2G rule because of the consequences for the employees: "The employees have to give the auxiliary police and endure confrontations with customers during the controls." Entrance to crowds and long waiting times.
On Saturday this could be observed at times in some larger shops on shopping streets such as Tauentzien or Schloßstraße in Berlin-Steglitz.
Unlike in Brandenburg, the Christmas markets in Berlin are allowed to open further for the time being.
As before, visitors must wear a mask.
Some organizers rely on 2G rules, while unvaccinated people also have access to other markets.
According to the Senate's daily status report, there have been a total of 5,488,941 vaccinations in Berlin so far. 68.9 percent of people are considered fully vaccinated, 71.5 percent have received a first vaccination. The vaccination capacities in the capital are currently being ramped up again.
In this context, the project manager of the Corona vaccination centers, Albrecht Broemme, described the cancellation of the Green Week in Berlin as an opportunity because the vaccination center in the fair can remain in place.
As a result, around 3,000 more vaccinations against the corona virus are possible every day.
"We will be able to offer this from mid-December, because the expansion of the ICC will then be completed," Broemme told the RBB-Inforadio on Saturday.
Actually, the vaccination center should give way to major events like the agricultural fair in the ICC.
The construction work in the ICC is already under way.
After the end of the Green Week, there will now be both vaccination centers.
also read
Restrictions for the unvaccinated?
Possible corona measures
The public debate about how to deal with the worsening corona pandemic is getting louder.
Above all, freedom of movement for the unvaccinated could be restricted.
The CDU calls for a vaccination center in the eastern part of the city.
Restrictions for the unvaccinated?
Possible corona measures
Demand for more vaccinations: no expansion of the offer for the time being
Vaccinations against the coronavirus are currently more in demand in Berlin than in the past weeks and months.
Those willing to vaccinate have to expect waiting times, an expansion of the offer is not planned for the time being.
Demand for more vaccinations: no expansion of the offer for the time being
Berlin CDU calls for vaccination center in east Berlin
The Berlin CDU has called for a vaccination center in the eastern part of Berlin and the return to free taxi transport for older people who want to be vaccinated.
"We need low-threshold vaccination opportunities and booster offers for everyone," said CDU parliamentary group leader Kai Wegner on Monday.
At the two vaccination centers that are still open at the trade fair and in Tegel, there are increasing numbers of visitors, but unfortunately there are also unreasonable waiting times.
Berlin CDU calls for vaccination center in east Berlin
Broemme was also relieved that Berlin did not close two of the six vaccination centers, even in the quieter phase of the corona pandemic. Now it is a matter of optimizing vaccination processes and shortening the lead time for the individual vaccinated. At the vaccination centers, the demand has increased in the past few days, and queues can be observed again and again. For example, people without an appointment had to wait up to four hours at the Tegel vaccination center on Saturday, as a dpa reporter described.
In the Berlin vaccination centers, the Biontech vaccine has essentially only been administered to people under the age of 30 and pregnant women since Saturday.
The background to this is a limit on order quantities for the Biontech vaccine, about which the federal states were informed in a letter from the Federal Ministry of Health.
For this purpose, the preparation from Moderna is to be increasingly used for booster vaccinations.
dpa
