Traffic light chaos on the day of the Corona MPK: “180 degree turn” by Lauterbach and “extremely unfortunate” reports

Created: 12/22/2021, 05:32 AM

From: Cindy Boden

Karl Lauterbach (SPD): "180 degree turn" of the health minister?

© localpic / Imago

Karl Lauterbach and the traffic lights are in the verbal crossfire.

Contradictions and contradicting statements are making the rounds.

Politicians and patient advocates do not understand the procedure.

Berlin - Corona summit day again - and communication seems to be going wild on Tuesday.

Again and again demands make the rounds.

In principle, on a day like this not very unusual - but sometimes people or committees contradict each other who previously pulled together.

Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) took up these messages, which are new almost every hour, in a statement at noon.

He expressed himself “extremely irritated” about the communication between the federal government and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) - always new messages that were “extremely unfortunate”.

RKI wants "maximum contact restrictions" immediately - but Lauterbach previously ruled out lockdown for Christmas

He reacted to a current message from the RKI, which recommends "maximum contact restrictions" due to the current Corona situation in Germany. From the RKI's point of view, these should "start immediately" and initially apply until mid-January. Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD), on the other hand, had ruled out a lockdown for Christmas on the weekend. In a draft resolution for the federal-state summit, no new contact restrictions are proposed as early as Christmas, but independent contact limits at family celebrations - real restrictions then "at the latest from December 28th".

All this makes a somewhat uncoordinated impression said Söder and criticized ". If the ministry and the main agency disagree, the more question marks leaves as exclamation mark"

"Chief warning of the republic" with "180 degree turn": Lauterbach in the eyes of patient advocates

The German Foundation for Patient Protection also criticized this sometimes contradicting communication. Board member Eugen Brysch told the German Press Agency: “What should be sensible on New Year's Eve cannot be wrong on Christmas Eve.” Therefore, the question arises as to the point of introducing more stringent measures only after Christmas. The SPD politician Lauterbach was only a few weeks ago the “chief admonisher of the republic” and is now making a “180 degree turn” as federal health minister.

The Corona Expert Council, in turn, wrote in its first statement on Sunday that it saw a need for action "already for the next few days".

"Effective nationwide coordinated countermeasures to control the infection process must be prepared, in particular well-planned and well-communicated contact restrictions." Winfried Kretschmann, Prime Minister from Baden-Württemberg, criticized the federal government afterwards.

He only received the analysis of the Expert Council on Sunday - after hearing it on the news.

"Minister in opposition to his own expert advisory board": Union wants clarification

The Union demands clarification from Lauterbach: “The minister has gone into opposition to his own expert advisory board.

It was only on Sunday that the committee warned that contact restrictions would have to follow quickly - the talk was of 'utmost urgency'.

But the minister categorically ruled out a lockdown on the same day.

That is contradictory and inconsistent, “said Tino Sorge, health policy spokesman for the CDU / CSU parliamentary group.

You can read everything else about the Corona summit here in our ticker.