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Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD)
Photo: STEFANIE LOOS / AFP
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) wants to "make new vaccination offers" after a meeting with the heads of the federal states.
He again promised to inoculate 30 million cans by Christmas.
For this purpose, family doctors are now to be recruited for vaccination on a massive scale, as well as pharmacists, dentists and veterinarians, said Scholz in Berlin.
Vaccination centers are also to be expanded again, and more mobile teams are to vaccinate in German cities.
With a view to regular booster vaccinations and changing mutants like Omikron, Scholz said it could be possible that you have to "get a spade every now and then".
In order to stimulate the vaccination campaign, "there is a common will to act quickly and decisively," said Scholz.
At the digital switch with the Prime Ministers, Scholz presented the newly convened Corona crisis team.
The new Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) was also involved.
The crisis team has now quickly started its work and should network with the experts of the countries, said Scholz.
If necessary, one could make decisions "very quickly".
The federal-state switch was the first conference of ministers presidents with Scholz as the new chancellor.
In the afternoon, the country bosses had initially met in a small group, later Scholz and the new Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) were involved.
A week ago there was a corona consultation from the federal and state governments, the last one with Angela Merkel (CDU).
This time, in addition to Corona, other topics were initially on the agenda, including how to deal with refugees from Belarus on the Polish-German border.
The North Rhine-Westphalian Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) chaired the round.
He was pleased that a rule conference was now taking place away from the corona situation, but emphasized that the pandemic was still the dominant topic.
"We have to use the high beam and not just drive on sight," said Wüst with a view to long-term measures in the fight against the pandemic.
Among other things, the planned compulsory vaccination for medical professions was discussed.
According to Wüst, this must be implemented "as quickly as possible" to protect particularly vulnerable people.
It is currently announced for March 15th.
The advice on the general compulsory vaccination should not be delayed, said Wüst.
Because of the fourth corona wave, speed is needed to protect the elderly in particular.
Vaccination continues to be "the most powerful weapon in the fight against the virus," said Wüst.
The vaccination logistics were ramped up accordingly.
Among other things, 1.4 million vaccinations were carried out in his state last week.
An enormous increase: According to Wüst, the maximum value in the summer, when large vaccination centers were still open, was 1.1 million vaccinations.
Wüst also presented a new concept for dealing with “lateral thinkers”.
Accordingly, media education should be used more strongly against conspiracy theories and spread lies on the Internet.
Tales from corona deniers would no longer just stay in the digital space, said Wüst - but have real effects such as acts of violence and torchlight marches.
"Hatred and division shouldn't have a chance," said Wüst.
Berlin's Governing Mayor Michael Müller (SPD) also criticized the torchlight marches.
This is not an open exchange of views, "we know these images from the darkest chapters of our history."
They existed back then in order to intimidate - "and that's what it should be again."
The decision against hatred and agitation is accordingly more than an expression of solidarity, it should help to fight against lies and also to encourage volunteers in their commitment and protect them from extremists.
mrc
