Corona recovery status: Explosive RKI mail is now putting Lauterbach under pressure

Created: 08/08/2022 05:17

By: Franziska Schwarz

Lothar Wieler (left) and Karl Lauterbach at a press conference (archive image from May 2022) © Chris Emil Janssen/Imago

Did Karl Lauterbach know in advance about the RKI plans to shorten the corona recovery status?

According to a report, there was correspondence with his ministry.

Berlin – Instead of six months, only three: The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) shortened the corona recovery status relatively suddenly in January.

The criticism was great, including from the virologist Hendrik Streeck.

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said he was taken by surprise by RKI boss Lothar Wieler.

According to a report, however, there was previously a corresponding correspondence with the SPD politician's ministry.

As the 

reports, they have an internal email from the RKI to Lauterbach, which informed him about the same.

It is dated January 11th.

That would be four days before the RKI announced its decision.

According to

, the e-mail was registered in the Federal Ministry of Health - and "in the context of an oral consultation", Lauterbach's ministry approved the draft, the newspaper continues.

Corona Zoff between Lauterbach and Wieler: communication problems?

The Ministry of Health sticks to its statement that Lauterbach did not know anything about the shortening of the convalescent status, a spokesman told the

and at a later request from the

on August 6th.

The reason for this was communication problems between the RKI and the Ministry of Health as well as internal misunderstandings.

As a consequence, Lauterbach relieved the RKI of responsibility for the recovered status.

Bundestag experts also expressed fundamental doubts about the decision-making power of the RKI.

The relationship between Lauterbach and Wieler was considered tense as a result.

Evaluation report on corona measures: Lauterbach supports Wieler

Last month, however, Lauterbach expressed confidence in the RKI in another matter on ZDF.

It was about the importance of the latest Corona report with a view to the reform of the Infection Protection Act that was pending at the time.

The FDP had denounced blatant deficiencies in the "data situation and the scientific monitoring of the pandemic" and as a consequence called for Wieler's dismissal

The data chaos denounced by the FDP is now officially named with the report.

At the RKI, a “new start in terms of personnel” was necessary, said party vice president Wolfgang Kubicki at the time of

S.