Kretschmer announces easing of the corona rules

Created: 01/06/2022Updated: 01/06/2022, 6:00 PM

Michael Kretschmer (CDU) in the special session of the Saxon State Parliament.

© Robert Michael / dpa-Zentralbild / dpa

Saxony wants to loosen its partial lockdown, but automatically tighten restrictions again when certain thresholds are reached.

Prime Minister Kretschmer wants to remain "in the team caution".

Dresden - Saxony wants to relax its strict corona rules.

This was announced by Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) in Dresden on Thursday.

The final decision should only be made after the federal-state conference on Friday.

Then Saxony wants to fix the cornerstones of a new protection ordinance.

According to the previous ideas, indoor cultural events and sports should be possible again under the condition of 2G plus - i.e. access for double vaccinated people with a daily test. If you have a booster vaccination, you don't need a test. For services close to the body, 2G (vaccinated or recovered) should be the prerequisite, for the hairdresser 3G (vaccinated, recovered or tested).

At the same time, Kretschmer made it clear that loosening was always linked to the infection process and the situation in hospitals. In addition, there should continue to be a strategy for corona hotspots with particularly high numbers of infections. So far, there has been a warning level and an overload level depending on the bed occupancy with corona patients in normal and intensive care units. Saxony had enacted the strictest regulations nationwide in November 2021. The seven-day incidence then exceeded 1400 for a few days. According to the Robert Koch Institute, it was 315.3 on Thursday.

The head of government justified the upcoming easing with the lower number of infections and a relaxation of the situation in the hospitals. The coalition agreed that changes should now be made with a view to the principle of proportionality and "in which direction it should go". "We live in a constitutional state," said Kretschmer. All measures that restricted freedom would have to be justified - otherwise they would be repealed.

The CDU politician stated that Saxony had "significantly intervened" in social and economic life through the measures taken in November. "With a few exceptions, these measures have all been confirmed by the courts because they were appropriate and justified at the time." Although it is currently still latent, it is getting smaller every day.

In principle, however, Kretschmer wants to remain “in the team with caution”, as he put it.

"My opinion is: All over Germany we have to deal more with this Omikron variant and we have to be more careful." Saxony also has a higher risk with its low vaccination rate.

"But we are in a free, democratic country and that is why the freedom of the individual must also come into play here."

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Kretschmer did not want to talk about every detail of the new protection ordinance because there was still a lot to be discussed.

But it also indicated the opening of the ski lifts in the Ore Mountains.

Winter sports enthusiasts from Saxony drove to the Czech ski areas without further ado because of the closed lifts.

There should also be a change in the meetings, which have so far been limited to ten participants.

dpa