The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

Is Bavaria prepared for the corona mutation? There is a risk of massive staff shortages in the infrastructure

2021-12-27T20:32:55.400Z


Is Bavaria prepared for the corona mutation? There is a risk of massive staff shortages in the infrastructure Created: 12/27/2021, 9:23 PM From: Kathrin Braun The Omikron variant is a problem for international air traffic. © Boris Roessler / dpa How dangerous is Omikron for the infrastructure? Experts fear great personnel shortages if many employees are absent at the same time. Bavarian suppli


Is Bavaria prepared for the corona mutation?

There is a risk of massive staff shortages in the infrastructure

Created: 12/27/2021, 9:23 PM

From: Kathrin Braun

The Omikron variant is a problem for international air traffic.

© Boris Roessler / dpa

How dangerous is Omikron for the infrastructure?

Experts fear great personnel shortages if many employees are absent at the same time.

Bavarian suppliers still see themselves armed.

Munich - Omikron rolls over Europe.

According to Health Minister Karl Lauterbach * (SPD), the fifth wave can no longer be stopped - and the Corona * Expert Council wants to gradually switch to emergency operation: The committee fears gaps in the critical infrastructure.

Police, fire brigade, electricity suppliers and garbage collectors, for example, could be affected by a staff shortage if Omikron * forces too many employees into quarantine or into sick beds.

How well is Bavaria equipped for this?

"We are prepared and optimistic," says Judith Kurzmeier from the Munich police.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, as many officials as possible have been sent to the home office - the duty rosters have been straightened out so that no entire departments have to go into quarantine.

(By the way: Our Bavaria newsletter informs you about all the important stories from the Free State. Register here.)

Omikron variant in Bavaria: Police and fire brigade prepared for failures

You see it similarly with the fire brigade.

"We have adjusted our emergency plans umpteen times since spring 2020," says Jan Saurer from the Munich fire brigade.

In addition to the fire fighters who are on the alert, hundreds more do administrative work in the home office every day.

In the event of emergencies and staff shortages, these employees could then also move out.

"We have enough staff on hand."

According to the Bavarian Ministry of Economics, the supply of electricity and gas is also secured.

The utilities' contingency plans were only recently checked again because of Omikron *, says a spokeswoman.

The energy companies would have prepared, for example, with the remote control of systems and sufficient spare parts stocks.

One is also prepared for "particularly critical scenarios of the further course of the pandemic".

At Stadtwerke München (SWM), the employees of the energy and drinking water supply could even be barracked in order to avoid any gaps.

"The willingness for this emergency measure, which fortunately has not been necessary until now, was and is very high," says a SWM spokesman.

Omikron paralyzed US aviation - Munich Airport could react "quickly and flexibly"

In local transport, however, there is a risk of slight restrictions. There are contingency plans for staff shortages - but they work “naturally only up to a certain level,” says MVG spokesman Johannes Boos. In the event of major staff shortages, the subway cycle can therefore be thinned out by individual trips.

What Omikron can achieve in air traffic * can currently be felt in the USA.

Large airlines canceled 1700 flights over Christmas - because pilots and crews were canceled, but partly also because of the winter weather.

Stable operations are guaranteed at Munich Airport *, says spokesman Robert Wilhelm.

In the terminal services and in the tower, for example, the services are divided in such a way that employees from different shift schedules cannot meet.

Basically, the airport can react “quickly and flexibly to external influences”.

Trade association: Because of Omikron there is "no need to panic"

The Munich Waste Management Company (AWM) has even prepared various escalation levels for a staff shortage. The three-step plan begins with simple shift schedules, but employees could also be taken off vacation in critical cases, said a spokeswoman. In the "extreme emergency", the scope of services must be reduced. The AWM could not guarantee whether the Munich residents' waste would be picked up in every case.

The Bavarian Trade Association (HDE), on the other hand, is assuming a complete supply, at least in supermarkets.

For daily needs there is “no need to panic”, promises HDE spokesman Bernd Ohlmann.

"Absurd scenes like the hamster purchases in spring 2020 do not have to be repeated." Supermarkets have worked out special pandemic plans in close cooperation with the health authorities.

Many markets worked with temporary employment agencies to provide enough staff if necessary.

* Merkur.de / bayern is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-12-27

You may like

News/Politics 2024-03-13T12:03:47.378Z

Trends 24h

News/Politics 2024-03-27T16:45:54.081Z
News/Politics 2024-03-28T06:04:53.137Z

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.