Plan for Corona autumn: Mask, daycare and school remain open

Created: 07/05/2022Updated: 07/05/2022 18:21

Hendrik Wüst (l), Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, talks to Nathanael Liminski (both CDU), Minister and Head of the State Chancellery, during the first cabinet meeting of the new state government in the Estates House.

© Marius Becker/dpa/archive image

Prime Minister Wüst is now in the middle of "Team Caution".

For the first time, together with the Greens, he is presenting a Corona timetable for the next few months.

One goal: In the future, schools, companies and all citizens should know earlier where they stand.

Bochum – The new North Rhine-Westphalian state cabinet presented a roadmap for the “third Corona autumn” almost a week after its appointment.

The transition from black-yellow to black-green sends a clear signal: more caution instead of loosening pressure - especially in favor of particularly vulnerable groups such as the elderly and the sick.

After the first external cabinet meeting of his new team, Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) presented the priorities on Tuesday at the health campus in Bochum together with several members of the government.

Day care centers and schools :

“There should no longer be widespread closures of day care centers and schools,” said Wüst.

According to the current federal legal situation, it is currently not even possible to close schools, explained the new Minister of Education Dorothee Feller (CDU).

She announced that she would provide information on all important issues a week before the end of the summer holidays.

Classes begin in NRW on August 10th.

In her own words, Feller has already set up a corona coordination staff in her ministry, into which the Ministry of Health was immediately involved for shorter decision-making processes.

Masks:

"Protection through masks will become more important again in autumn and winter," emphasized Wüst.

Basic protection measures in buses and trains as well as in facilities for particularly vulnerable groups would be continued.

If the corona situation requires it, the mask requirement currently in force in local public transport, in hospitals, medical practices and old people's and nursing homes can also be extended to other indoor areas, added Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU).

Compulsory testing:

Before visiting hospitals and care facilities, a corona test will also be necessary in the future, announced Wüst.

"It's clear to me: The tests must remain free of charge." The new test regulation of the federal government, which now provides for a personal contribution for most citizens, led to almost a halving of the rapid tests in NRW within a few days, reported Laumann.

Vaccination:

According to Wüst, NRW is sticking to its structures for further major vaccination campaigns.

"We must be able to vaccinate again at record speed if that is necessary." Even if it is not yet clear which vaccine could be used soon, it remains the case that vaccination centers have to be operational within 14 days to do at least 250,000 vaccinations a week, Laumann said.

Corona situation:

“The situation in the hospitals is stable.

There is currently no reason to intervene significantly in people's lives," the head of government summed up.

Nevertheless, precautions are necessary for increasing numbers of infections in the cold season.

"In the hospital sector, we actually know everything," said Laumann.

All data on the corona situation on the wards and sick leave from the staff is available in NRW, "so that we have the question of the overloading of the health system under control".

Data:

Laumann calls for better data from the federal government for those who have been vaccinated.

"So far we only know the postal code, but not in which streets or in which district the vaccinated people live," he criticized.

On this basis, however, it is not possible to specifically evaluate which social groups do not accept the vaccination offer.

Research:

The NRW Ministry of Health is funding research projects on infection processes with 2.4 million euros in order to be able to act more efficiently in the event of another corona wave.

According to Laumann, there are already pilot projects for wastewater monitoring in 16 municipalities.

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Legal situation:

The Minister of Health warned that the Federal Government and Bundestag must quickly create legal certainty by amending the Infection Protection Act.

Otherwise, from the end of September, the state government will no longer have any opportunity to take the necessary measures.

The new state government also wants to ensure that the corona protection regulations “are in place a little earlier before they come into force.” This could “improve the application considerably”.

In recent years, the regulations of the black and yellow government have often come at the last minute.

Economy:

NRW Economics Minister Mona Neubaur (Greens) emphasized that companies and their employees also need planning security.

Closures or bans could only be a last resort in working life, which the state government wants to counteract with all its strength.

Freelancers and solo self-employed people are also considered.

dpa