Corona loosening: survey shows the most controversial rules - Habeck and Scholz slow down

Created: 2022-02-07 05:48

By: Andreas Schmid

Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD, left), Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens, middle), and Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP).

SPD and Greens are cautious about easing.

The FDP demands openings.

© Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Corona loosening in Germany?

Söder and the FDP are in favor, Scholz and Habeck against.

A country is now advancing.

The news ticker.

• Despite the omicron wave, a number of countries in Europe are relaxing the rules.

  Will Germany follow the example?

  A survey shows the mood of the population

  (update from February 6, 3:44 p.m.)

  .

• While Olaf Scholz and the Greens tend to slow down, Markus Söder and the FPD are demanding relief (

  update from February 6, 9:05 a.m.

  ).

• Baden-Württemberg is now pushing ahead and planning the next easing steps (

  update from February 6, 12.50 p.m.

  ).

• This news ticker is updated regularly.

Update from February 6, 3:44 p.m

.: The calls for corona easing are getting louder, including from the population.

However, a current Insa survey also shows that the people in Germany do not really seem to be in agreement - neither do politicians and doctors in the country.

49 percent want looser corona rules, for 44 percent adjustments are not appropriate in the current situation.

When asked about the current measures, the participants attested to the need to change two rules in particular: contact restrictions and 2G. 66 percent reject the current contact restrictions for vaccinated people. A maximum of ten vaccinated people are currently allowed to meet. On the other hand, 64 percent consider the contact restrictions for the unvaccinated to be sensible. But there is also dissatisfaction with the treatment of unvaccinated people. A majority of 53 percent no longer finds the 2G rule in retail (access only for those who have been vaccinated/recovered) sensible. 49 percent reject 2Gplus in gastronomy (i.e. with a test).

But: A majority of those surveyed still think that the mask requirement makes sense.

71 percent say that the mask should remain on public transport in particular.

But also in retail (65 percent) and in schools (58 percent) a majority is in favor of the mask requirement.

Notes on the survey

The opinion research institute Insa interviewed 1,002 people for the

on February 4th. The questions: Should the current corona measures in Germany be relaxed? (yes/no) - In your opinion, which of the following corona measures are currently useful and which are not? (2G in retail, 2G+ in cultural institutions, 2G+ in gastronomy, 3G in long-distance and local public transport, FFP2 mask requirement in retail, FFP2 mask requirement in public transport, - contact restrictions for the vaccinated, contact restrictions for the unvaccinated, mask requirements in schools, quarantine for people who tested positive for Corona, closure of clubs and discos, compulsory testing in schools)

How this mood within the population affects the Corona rules will become apparent on February 16th, when the federal and state governments meet for the next Corona consultations.

The traffic light government is meanwhile divided about the further course in the pandemic.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens) do not see the time for easing yet

- the FDP, on the other hand, is pushing for quick opening steps

.

Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder also considers this to be appropriate.

Corona loosening: Baden-Württemberg is working on an opening plan

Update from February 6, 12:50 p.m .:

According to information from the German Press Agency, the state of Baden-Württemberg is working on a relaxation plan for the time after the peak of the omicron wave – this should be reached in mid-February.

The dpa learned from government circles in Stuttgart that there should be a hearing by the Ministry of Social Affairs with clinic representatives and scientists on February 18th.

The main purpose of the meeting shortly after the prime ministers’ conference is to clarify whether there are still enough beds in the normal wards of the hospitals in the southwest to be able to take in more Covid 19 patients if in doubt.

If the capacities are sufficient or can be expanded, which is assumed, the measures should be relaxed further towards the end of February, it said.

Then the existing system of stages is to be adapted more closely to the omicron virus variant.

According to reports, the impression that Omicron is more contagious than Delta, but significantly fewer people become seriously ill and have to go to the intensive care unit, is becoming more and more substantiated.

The number of Covid patients who are in the normal ward is increasing.

Corona loosening?

Söder names concrete measures - Habeck talks about "right time"

Update from February 6, 9:05 a.m .:

The next federal-state summit is scheduled for February 16.

The debate about possible easing is already running hot.

But there is no unity even in the traffic light government.

The corona numbers in Germany are currently reaching record values, but advocates of opening steps argue that the course of the disease in the case of an omicron infection is usually rather mild. 

Olaf Scholz and Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck are currently slowing down.

After Scholz, Habeck now also dampened expectations: "Of course we need an opening perspective, but the easing must come at the right time," said the Minister of Economics to the newspapers of the

.

"The omicron wave has not yet broken."

Corona loosening still in February?

Söder and FDP plead for relief

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach took the same line: "Our strategy has worked well so far," he told

.

With targeted measures and boosters, it was possible to protect the elderly and the previously ill.

“But if we relax too early now, we unnecessarily question our own success and risk new, dangerous infections and an extension of the wave.

What we have built up in weeks, we can gamble away in days.”

Robert Habeck (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen - l), Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, and Markus Söder (CSU), Prime Minister of Bavaria, give a press conference.

© Tobias Hase/dpa

On the other hand, the FDP has already clearly spoken out in favor of easing.

Christian Lindner pointed out, for example, that the legal basis for the Corona measures will expire on March 19th anyway.

Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU), on the other hand, asked the federal government to submit an opening plan.

"If we can be sure that the health system will not be overloaded, freedom rights should no longer take a back seat as in other phases of the pandemic," said the CSU boss of the

.

“We should take further steps to open up culture, sport and trade if the number of hospitals remains stable.

The consistent use of FFP2 masks allows contact restrictions to be lifted.” On January 24, the federal and state governments agreed to develop “opening perspectives” as soon as the health system could be overburdened.

Tangle in the traffic light course: Some question corona measures, others blame relaxation signals

First report from February 5th:

Berlin – In Germany there is a lively debate about easing the corona measures. Meanwhile, the incidence reached a new high on Friday (December 4). Many politicians take a stand. However, there does not seem to be a really concrete plan for Germany yet. The traffic light also gives a rather mixed picture.

The parliamentary manager of the SPD* parliamentary group, Johannes Fechner, thinks it is possible, for example, that measures in March could be completely eliminated.

"In the next few weeks we will take our time to see whether it is even necessary to extend the corona protection measures beyond March 19," he told Die

.

If, in mid-February, a decline in the omicron variant is actually detected, the question arises as to whether the restrictions in spring and summer are still necessary.

Other voices from the SPD, on the other hand, urge caution.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in the Bundestag: Are the traffic lights easing?

© Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Corona easing in Germany: is parliament extending the Infection Protection Act?

The Infection Protection Act was last amended by the Bundestag and Bundesrat in December.

It enables the federal and state governments to take a number of measures to contain the pandemic, including the obligation to wear masks or social distancing.

The measures are currently limited to March 19, but could be extended once by up to three months by the Bundestag.

Greens warn of easing: “We will not be able to do without certain measures now”

The FDP * is also putting pressure on: parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr on the

broadcaster , there is “fortunately no health crisis, so no crisis in the intensive care units at the moment”.

He called for the current contact restrictions, according to which a maximum of ten people can meet privately, to be reviewed.

FDP leader Christian Lindner recently took a look at the 2G rule in retail.

The Green Group continues to urge caution.

"We will now not be able to do without certain measures such as the obligation to wear masks or a reduction in contacts," said parliamentary group leader Britta Haßelmann of the

.

The omicron wave has not yet reached its peak.

Even if the course of the disease is less severe, in large numbers they lead to a noticeable burden on the clinics.

Not enough is known about the distribution of the subtype BA.2*, the vaccination gap is too large.

Her colleague Katharina Dröge (Green*) does not see the time as yet to think about easing the corona restrictions.

"As long as the number of infections is increasing and the vaccination rate is still too low, it is premature to relax the signals," she told the

“Of course you have to think about how to get out of the restrictions.

But if you're already talking about it out loud, many people think we're over the hill," Dröge told the newspaper.

"Instead, it may well be that we have to adjust the rules again."

Opening debate: CDU wants to see the traffic light plan

Other tones sound from the Union: The health policy spokesman, Tino Sorge (CDU*), insisted that the federal government “should launch a plan for openings in February”.

He told the

"Other countries are showing us: You can very well relax without immediately falling into recklessness.

There must be gradual opening steps that are understandable for all citizens.”

According to Sorge, the expert council of the federal government should formulate a guideline "promptly" so that the federal and state governments can decide.

The opening steps should be based on hospital occupancy and other factors.

"It will not be enough to follow what is happening and only present opening options when the numbers are already falling," Sorge told the

.