Traffic light on lockdown course after all? Scholz suggests tough measures

In view of the worsening corona situation in Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) is still campaigning for stricter measures.

Scholz doesn't rule anything out either.

The news ticker.

• Health Minister Jens Spahn called for urgent contact reductions (

  update from November 26th, 11.02 a.m.

  ).

• The future Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) announced on Saturday that in view of the new Corona variant Omikron, no options would be excluded

  (update from November 27, 4:59 p.m.).

• The chairman of the

  conference of health ministers

  , Klaus Holetschek (CSU), speaks out in favor of a quick federal-state meeting in view of the demands of the Leopoldina (

  update from November 27, 3:34 p.m.

  ).

+++ This news ticker has ended.

We will now keep you up to date on all further corona plans of the coming traffic light government *.

+++

Traffic light on lockdown course after all?

Scholz suggests tough measures

Update from November 27th, 4:59 p.m.:

The future Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD)

on Twitter on Saturday about the current Corona situation in Germany. "We are establishing a crisis team and developing a new, precise way of dealing with the current challenges relating to Corona and Omikron," said the politician. He was referring to the new Corona variant from South Africa called Omikron, against which scientists are unanimously warning. The WHO classifies the mutation as "worrying". It is considered very contagious and, according to initial findings, could escape vaccination protection. Suspected cases of Omikron were already reported in Germany at the weekend.

“We will do whatever is necessary.

There is nothing that cannot be taken into account, ”Scholz continued to write about the corona situation.

As a result, all corona measures from past waves are probably up for debate again, including contact restrictions for everyone.

The number of new corona infections in Germany had increased daily in the past few weeks.

On Saturday, the seven-day incidence was 444.3, again at an all-time high.

We are establishing a crisis team and developing a new, precise way of dealing with the current challenges for #Corona and #Omicron.

We will do whatever it takes.

There is nothing that cannot be taken into account.

- Olaf Scholz (@OlafScholz) November 27, 2021

Holetschek is in favor of giving preference to the federal-state round

Update from November 27th, 3:34 pm:

The next federal-state meeting is planned for December 9th. Now the chairman of the Conference of Health Ministers (GMK), Bavaria's head of department Klaus Holetschek (CSU), is in favor of bringing the date forward. In his justification, he refers to the recommendation of the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina *, which immediately called for extensive contact restrictions on Saturday.

“I'm always in favor of listening to science,” said Holetschek.

“This is a wake-up call par excellence from the Leopoldina,” the politician continued.

The federal government must now take up this signal immediately.

"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 by the Leopoldina published on Saturday.

Holetschek's demand for a quick federal-state meeting coincides with the opinion of the Managing Minister of Health Jens Spahn, Hesse's Prime Minister Volker Bouffier and Saxony's Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer.

The Hessian Prime Minister Bouffier wants to bring forward a federal-state round

Update from November 26th, 5 p.m.:

In the discussion about the Prime Minister's Conference on December 9th, Hesse's Prime Minister Volker Bouffier (CDU) now also spoke out in favor of bringing forward the federal-state round on the corona situation.

In view of the corona development, he thinks an earlier consultation is necessary, said a government spokesman on Friday in Wiesbaden on a dpa request.

The chairman of the Prime Minister's Conference, North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst, was also open to bringing forward the meeting planned for December 9th.

If there is a willingness to act together resolutely, then there will be no lack of appointments and I will invite them quickly," said the CDU politician on Friday in the ZDF midday magazine.

First prime ministers call for earlier prime ministerial conference

Update from November 26th, 1:50 p.m.:

Several prime ministers of the federal states and Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) are at odds about the point of a quick Prime Minister's Conference (MPK).

Saxony's Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) and Spahn called for a consultation as soon as possible on Friday, while Hamburg's First Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD) sees no point in it.

Tschentscher does not want to rule out a complete lockdown at the same time.

Update from November 26th, 1:39 p.m.:

Baden-Württemberg's Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) is now pushing for an early federal-state round due to the rapidly increasing corona numbers. "I am very much in favor of a quick Prime Minister's Conference," Kretschmann told the German Press Agency in Stuttgart on Friday. "The new virus variant, the worsening situation in the intensive care units in many regions, the continued unchecked exponential growth - all of this makes quick action necessary." The Greens politician emphasized that December 9th was too late as the date for the next crisis meeting may be. "And it is becoming increasingly clear that the countries urgently need the full range of instruments for extensive restrictions."

Huge quarrel about the lockdown summit with Merkel - the first countries oppose it

+

The minister-presidents of the federal states disagree on when they want to hold the federal-state meeting.

(Archive image)

© Oliver Berg / dpa

Update from November 26th, 1 p.m.:

The federal states are divided on the question of whether the prime ministers should meet for another crisis discussion earlier than planned in view of the corona situation.

Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein see no need to bring forward the Prime Minister's Conference planned for December 9th.

It is now time to act, especially in countries with a very high incidence, it said on Friday in circles of the red-green Hamburg Senate.

The necessary and necessary funds for this would be available.

Schleswig-Holstein is monitoring the situation very carefully, said a government spokesman for Prime Minister Daniel Günther (CDU) on Friday.

The federal and state governments agreed on measures to combat corona only last week.

"The Infection Protection Act gives us sufficient instruments to implement these measures."

Update from November 26th, 11.02 a.m.:

The acting Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn * has urgently demanded immediate contact reductions in order to avert the further spread of Corona throughout Germany.

The situation is more serious than at any point in the pandemic, said the CDU politician in Berlin on Friday.

But too little happens, and often too late.

"We have to stop this wave now," warned Spahn.

Too many, including those with political responsibility, think it will be fine. The wave will move from the previously badly affected regions in the south and east of Germany to the west and north. In the short term, only one thing makes the decisive difference, said Spahn: “The number of contacts has to go down, significantly down. It's all of no use. ”Specifically, he named consistent access rules only for vaccinated and convalescent people with additional tests (2G plus), cancellation of celebrations and major events.

The best thing would be a prime ministerial conference with the federal government in the next few days, said Spahn.

The minister complained that there are currently too many sidelines such as new vaccination requirements or new corona committees.

It is now also necessary to postpone predictable operations in clinics.

Within Germany, up to 100 intensive care patients would now have to be relocated to other hospitals at great expense.

Kretschmer defends strict corona measures in Saxony

Update from November 26th, 9.22 a.m.:

Saxony's Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer * wants to bring the fourth corona wave under control with all available means. "If we find out at this time next week that we still have such an infection, then we will talk together about what more is necessary - because we do not want to allow Bergamo in Saxony," he said on Thursday evening in an online discussion . Kretschmer was alluding to the dramatic situation in the northern Italian city of Bergamo in spring 2020. Images of military trucks transporting coffins en masse caused dismay around the world at the time. Saxony was later the first federal state to also admit patients from Bergamo in its hospitals.

"Nobody in Germany would take pictures like in Bergamo, not even those who still believe that everything is not that bad," said Kretschmer.

You can't just let the pandemic run.

What Saxony is doing right now is necessary - "and maybe even a little more," he defended the current cuts in the state.

In Saxony, the virus is spreading the fastest in a nationwide comparison.

According to the Robert Koch Institute *, the incidence on Thursday was 1074.6.

Corona lockdown "nationwide" necessary?

Merkel and Söder rush forward - the survey confirms them

Update from November 25, 7.45 p.m.:

No more lockdown - the government has promised. But this promise wobbles if you believe the information in the

. The newspaper claims to have learned from an internal debate between Chancellery chief Helge Braun (49, CDU) and the heads of the state chancelleries of the federal states that several representatives of the federal states have declared that a "nationwide lockdown" will not be avoided.

The reason is surprising: This should be the 2G regulation.

Recovered and vaccinated people should come to restaurants and cultural institutions with almost no restrictions, which virologists criticize.

Virologist Alexander Kekulé from the University of Halle said: "The vaccines are not safe enough to cope with 2G or 3G events without a mask, without a distance, without a test and, above all, without an upper limit." Vaccinated ".

For him, the 2G model is “part of the problem”.

Politicians are now said to have come to this conclusion: There are supposed to be major concerns about 2G.

Corona pandemic: 7 out of 10 Germans are in favor of tougher measures

Update from November 25, 6:51 p.m.:

How do Germans see the current Corona situation?

Do we need stricter measures?

According to a recent survey, 7 out of 10 Germans are in favor of interpreting the measures tougher.

The decision of the “traffic light” parties to initially wait ten days was only thought to be correct by 28 percent.

The survey was commissioned by

and

and asked 1008 citizens.

In it, the supporters of the Greens (77 percent), SPD (69 percent) and FDP (53 percent), in some cases a clear majority, spoke out in favor of applying stricter measures.

Only AfD supporters (64 percent) were against it.

Update from November 25th, 5.45pm

: Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) wants stricter "contact restrictions", Bavaria's Markus Söder (CSU) is calling for stricter rules nationwide and a general vaccination requirement in the corona pandemic.

Saxony's Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU)

did not rule out stricter rules

in an interview with the

.

According to information from the

newspaper, the complete closure of retail and catering is also being sought.

“The danger cannot be dismissed out of hand.

It can only be prevented if there is a collective understanding and common awareness of avoiding contacts and adhering to the measures, ”said Kretschmer.

If there is not a positive effect in the coming week, “we have to have this discussion”.

Coronavirus pandemic: Angela Merkel (CDU) puts pressure - Germany in lockdown again soon?

Update from November 25th, 4:55 p.m

.: Is there another nationwide lockdown coming?

According to

, several heads of the state chancelleries of the federal states have now declared that Germany will not be able to avoid a "nationwide lockdown" in the fourth wave of the corona pandemic.

The country representatives had discussed, apparently virtually, with Chancellor Helge Braun (CDU).

According to the report, they expressed concerns as to whether the 2G regulation (vaccinated and recovered) would be sufficient to slow down the corona infections * and thus the infection rate.

There are now many reports and examples that people who have been vaccinated have also been infected with the virus.

However, in most cases you have mild or even symptom-free courses of the infection.

Coronavirus pandemic in Germany: Angela Merkel (CDU) calls for more "contact restrictions"

Update from November 25, 4:35 p.m

.: The Executive Chancellor Angela Merkel considers the measures taken to contain the fourth wave of the corona pandemic to be inadequate.

"We need more restrictions on contacts," said the CDU politician on Thursday in Berlin.

One must be careful not to overload the hospitals.

She is therefore already in contact with her designated successor Olaf Scholz (SPD).

"I made it clear to him today that we can do this together in this transition phase," said the head of government.

Merkel, however, left it open whether the Prime Minister's conference planned for December 9th should be brought forward.

“The extent to which new dates are found also depends on the federal states.

I don't want to say anything about that today, ”she said.

+

Energetic: Still-Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) at the meeting with the Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

© John Macdougall / AFP Pool / dpa

Coronavirus pandemic in Germany: Are there any stricter corona rules coming soon?

First report from November 25th

: Munich / Berlin - Will the coronavirus pandemic in Germany * soon lead to stricter corona rules across the country? In view of the further worsening of the Covid 19 situation - especially in the intensive care units * - Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) is urging additional measures. And Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) is also putting considerable pressure on the traffic light coalition made up of the SPD, the Greens and the FDP *.

At a press conference after a meeting with the Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki this Thursday in Berlin, Merkel said that she had spoken to her alleged successor as Prime Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD) * during the day.

The aim was to take the necessary steps together in the current transition phase, while the number of corona infections in Germany remains high.

Corona pandemic in Germany: Angela Merkel (CDU) urges earlier federal-state meeting

Merkel also referred to the contact restrictions adopted in other countries.

"Every day counts here," said the 67-year-old Merkel and said about possible measures: "We need more." At the presentation of the traffic light coalition agreement on Wednesday, Scholz announced that he wanted a federal-state crisis team in the Chancellery for Corona - Set up a pandemic.

Every day counts here.

Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU)

Scholz had indicated that this could be initiated before he took over government. Merkel has now taken up this. You heard “very attentively yesterday that Chancellor-designate Olaf Scholz will set up a crisis team,” said the outgoing Chancellor. She made it clear to him that she, too, was of the opinion that both of the necessary measures could already “work together”. She is happy that she is "in close contact with Olaf Scholz" for this purpose.

The Bavarian Prime Minister Söder also wants an early Prime Minister's Conference with the Federal Government due to the increasing number of new corona infections *.

"Every opportunity to improve the current crisis situation must be used," said Söder of the

.

Previously, the Saarland Prime Minister Tobias Hans (CDU) had called for a quick meeting of the state heads of government, preferably this week.

In the video: Overview - This is in the coalition agreement of the new traffic light government

Actually, December 9th was scheduled for the meeting.

Söder named three topics that it is imperative to talk about: The current Infection Protection Act, which was passed in the Bundestag with the majority of the future traffic light coalition made up of the SPD, Greens and FDP, is “not appropriate to the current situation” and must be restored be changed, said the CSU head of the newspaper.

Corona pandemic in Germany: Markus Söder (CSU) advocates general compulsory vaccination

The second point he mentioned was the vaccination campaign: In order to increase the vaccination rate, Söder wanted pharmacists to be allowed to vaccinate.

As a third point, he mentioned the discussion about a general compulsory vaccination, which he now supports.

“Only they will pacify society and bring us all back the freedom we knew before Corona.”

*

List of rubric lists: © Michael Kappeler / dpa