The first corona case occurred in Germany three years ago.
Minister of State Florian Herrmann reports on difficult decisions and key experiences.
Freising
– As Corona representative, Minister of State Florian Herrmann was massively involved in decisions to combat the virus.
In an interview with the FT, the Freisinger explains which decisions were particularly important, how prepared politics is for future pandemics, and what he might do differently today.
Herr Herrmann, after three years of the pandemic, something like social normality is returning. How much Corona is still in the everyday political life of the Bavarian Corona Commissioner?
Significantly less than half a year ago.
Other urgent issues such as the Ukraine war and the energy supply are now in the foreground.
But I still look at the corona numbers every day and we look at our regulations every four weeks.
In Bavaria, we currently only have a mask requirement for employees in medical practices and comparable vulnerable facilities.
But it expires on January 31st.
Then there will no longer be any restrictive measures in the Free State based on state law.
There are then only nationwide requirements, for example for patients or in long-distance transport.
What were the essential decisions of the state government?
In the early phase, when there were no vaccines, it was important to use the classic methods of disease control, i.e. to massively limit contacts and severely reduce public life.
This has also enabled us to prevent the uncontrolled spread of the corona virus.
At the start of vaccination, it was then important to vaccinate the vaccine as quickly as possible and in a targeted manner, given the shortage at the time.
Civil protection, which has been massively shut down in previous years, must be taken seriously again.
Minister of State Florian Herrmann
What would you do differently with the knowledge you have today?
The most important finding is that we as a state, but also as a society, have to be more resilient to threats.
Civil protection, which has been massively shut down in previous years, must be taken seriously again.
It is essential that we now have a pandemic central warehouse in case supply chains no longer work.
But was it really necessary, for example, to evict people sitting alone from park benches during the first lockdown - keyword ban on staying?
There is the term “prevention paradox”: Measures taken to avoid the worst are subsequently questioned when the worst has not happened.
We didn't have a manual on corona prevention at the time.
Because such decisions have not had to be made since the Spanish flu over 100 years ago.
But I am firmly convinced, even with today's knowledge, that the sum of all measures got us through the pandemic well.
It remains to be seen whether each individual detailed question is one hundred percent valid in retrospective analyses.
What moment of the pandemic affected you the most?
Right at the beginning there were the pictures from Bergamo and New York, but also a study by emergency physicians regarding the clinic in Strasbourg.
I found it extremely shocking to read that people over 80 years of age with corona symptoms should only be given palliative care in the event of overload.
It was an absolutely key experience for me: to do everything to ensure that we never get into a situation like this.
Having to assume political responsibility in such an extremely threatening situation is formative.
Minister of State Florian Herrmann
Are politicians better positioned for future pandemics as a result of the experience with Corona?
In principle yes.
We have seen that the classic methods of disease control work.
But our tool kit has also become more differentiated.
With the wastewater tests for virus concentrations, we now have a pandemic early warning system that has been newly created in the last three years.
And we have created a central pandemic warehouse with protective equipment and other necessary material.
(By the way: everything from the region is now also available in our regular Freising newsletter.)
How has the pandemic changed you as a politician?
I have learned an incredible amount in these three years - in terms of content about pandemics and viruses, but also alongside Prime Minister Markus Söder in terms of political decision-making and courageous leadership in absolute emergencies.
When it comes to life and death.
Having to assume political responsibility in such an extremely threatening situation is formative.
And it also strengthens us that, as a liberal, open society, we have managed these tasks, including the development of vaccines, better than authoritarian states like China.
