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US Secretary of Health Alex Azar: Government is "cautiously optimistic"
Photo: Alyssa Pointer / AP
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US Secretary of Health gives hope for US-wide vaccination by April
12:40 a.m.:
US Minister of Health Alex Azar claims that all Americans could receive a corona vaccination by April.
One of the funds that the US government is supporting financially could therefore be available for people at particular risk by the end of the year, said Azar on Wednesday;
the government is "cautiously optimistic".
By the end of January, the minister expects enough doses to be available for risk groups such as the elderly and health care workers.
A working vaccine should be available to all Americans by the end of March or April.
more on the subject
Icon: Spiegel Plus Research by pharmaceutical companies: Vaccine in a fast-track processBy Julia Merlot
Corona: defeat for Trump - stricter rules for vaccine by Julia Köppe
The United States is supporting six manufacturers who are researching a vaccine and are already having large quantities of it produced at the same time if one of the substances proves to be effective and safe and is approved.
Among these companies are two of the most promising candidates at the moment: the active ingredients from the biology company Moderna and from the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer in cooperation with the German company Biontech.
Both agents are in the third and final test phase with tens of thousands of test subjects.
During the election campaign, US President Donald Trump announced several times that a vaccine against Covid-19 would be available before the US presidential election on November 3.
Most recently, however, the US FDA tightened the requirements for emergency approval.
Bavaria's state parliament calls for the Bundestag to be strengthened in the corona crisis
00.08 a.m.:
The Bavarian state parliament is unanimously demanding, also with the votes of the government
factions
CSU and Free Voters, a clear strengthening of the Bundestag in the future Corona policy.
The aim is nationwide uniform measures to combat corona, the framework of which is defined and decided by the Bundestag.
For this purpose, concrete power standards for interventions that are particularly relevant to fundamental rights, such as exit restrictions, are to be anchored in the Federal Infection Protection Act.
All parliamentary groups except for the AfD agreed to a corresponding request on Wednesday evening.
In a free, democratic constitutional state, the Bundestag must make the essential decisions to protect fundamental freedoms, according to the joint motion of the CSU and Free Voters, which the Greens, SPD and FDP also agreed to.
The Bundestag must provide a concrete framework.
The executive must be able to react quickly in order to protect people and their rights, it is stressed.
"But the guard rails under which freedom restrictions are possible must become clear."
Rummenigge: Another lockdown would be a "drama" for football
00:05:
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, CEO of FC Bayern Munich, warned of further pandemic consequences for the football industry after the Corona case of Munich professional Serge Gnabry.
In view of the current rise in the number of infections, you have to "sharpen your senses", warned the record champions' chairman.
"Another lockdown for football would be a drama," said Rummenigge on Wednesday evening the TV broadcaster Sky.
Before Bayern's first game in the Champions League against Atlético Madrid, national player Gnabry was infected with corona.
Spahn thanks for recovery wishes
00.01 a.m.:
Federal
Minister of
Health Jens Spahn
commented
on his corona infection on Twitter himself on Wednesday evening.
"Thanks for the many good wishes," he wrote.
"I am in domestic isolation and am recovering with currently only cold symptoms."
He wished everyone with whom he was in contact that they remained healthy.
"Let's continue to watch out for each other!"
More than 1000 users responded to the tweet within an hour.
Many politicians had already sent recovery wishes via Twitter, including Friedrich Merz, who is running for the CDU chairmanship.
"Dear Jens Spahn, I know from my own experience how unpleasant a Corona infection can be. I wish you a mild course and a speedy recovery!" Wrote Merz.
Spahn was the first minister of the federal government to test positive for Corona on Wednesday.
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