Enlarge image
Angela Merkel
Photo:
FILIP SINGER / POOL / EPA
"You can see from the resolutions that we understand that the situation is very serious": Angela Merkel completed her last Prime Minister's conference as Chancellor - and after the corona deliberations of the federal and state governments, she pointed out the dangers of the current situation at a press conference .
So far, the fourth wave has not been broken, the chancellor admitted.
There is currently a certain amount of calming down, but on a much too high level.
When asked whether she was in favor of compulsory vaccination, Merkel said that the vaccination had been advertised on all channels. Nevertheless, there is a vaccine picking, regionally the health system is overloaded. In view of this situation, it was "imperative to make such a vaccination compulsory," said Merkel. If she were still in the Bundestag, she would vote for it, said Merkel. "I'm depressed that we are in such a strong fourth wave," said the Chancellor. It was hoped that the voluntary vaccination would be better accepted.
Merkel emphasized the importance of booster vaccinations.
The vaccination status will not be permanently recognized in the event of a double vaccination.
It is also being discussed at EU level that the second vaccination will lose its validity after nine months, so boosting is very important.
The transition will be such that everyone has a chance to renew their vaccination status.
Bars and clubs should be closed at an incidence of 350 at the latest, said Merkel.
Contacts between those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered will then also have to be reduced: to 50 indoors and 200 outdoors.
The measures adopted by the states are minimum standards, and the states could also tighten them, said Merkel.
"We know what kind of situations arise in the intensive care units," said Chancellor-designate Olaf Scholz. He again appealed to all those who had not been vaccinated to get vaccinated after all. He described it as a great logistical challenge to achieve the goal of a further 30 million vaccinations by Christmas - first, second and booster vaccinations combined. Scholz described the 2G rule in retail as necessary, as did contact restrictions for the private sector.
"We have to consistently reduce contacts in the next few weeks, this is the only way to break the fourth wave," said NRW Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst, Chairman of the Prime Minister's Conference.
He also urged people to be vaccinated.
Wüst thanked Merkel on behalf of the Prime Minister's Conference.
"You have led our country well through this sometimes difficult time," said the CDU politician about Merkel's work in the corona crisis.
as / dpa