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Jens Spahn (on November 9th): »There is cause for optimism«
Photo: TOBIAS SCHWARZ / AFP
The latest reports on the progress in testing vaccines against the coronavirus give hope.
And the current statements by Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn also sound remarkably optimistic in the middle of the pandemic.
The CDU politician expects the first vaccinations against the corona virus this year.
“There is reason to be optimistic that a vaccine will be approved in Europe this year.
And then we can start immediately with the vaccinations, «said Spahn to the editorial network in Germany.
He asked the federal states that the vaccination centers should be ready for use in mid-December.
That seems to work.
Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD) also raised hopes for vaccinations this year.
"We have made the preparations so that it could start in December," said Scholz on Sunday evening on "Bild live".
He believes that the vaccination will start "faster than we thought some time ago," emphasized the Vice Chancellor.
Spahn was optimistic that it would not take until the end of 2021 for all population groups to be vaccinated.
So you don't need deep cooling for many of the likely vaccines.
They could be given in normal doctor's offices.
"And then it goes quickly: Let's not forget that in a few weeks up to 20 million people are vaccinated against flu every year," said Spahn.
Spahn announced the establishment of an online platform on the vaccination rates achieved, differentiated by age and region.
"Especially when we have achieved a high vaccination rate among the particularly vulnerable population groups, we will be able to gradually relax the restrictions."
According to Spahn, Germany has now secured more than 300 million vaccine doses for Germany through the EU Commission or bilateral agreements and options.
"Even with two doses per vaccination, we would have enough for our own population and could share it with other countries," said Spahn.
Extension of the lockdown until December 20th
For the time being, however, the number of infections in Germany remains worrying.
Accordingly, according to SPIEGEL information, the prime ministers want to refrain from easing the measures previously imposed for the time being.
According to a draft resolution from the state of Berlin, which SPIEGEL has received, the lockdown that has so far applied in Germany is to remain in place until December 20.
Berlin currently holds the chairmanship of the Prime Minister's Conference.
According to reports, suggestions from preliminary discussions between the federal states have been incorporated into the paper.
Only in regions "which have an incidence of less than 35 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within 7 days and a falling incidence trend" could there be easing earlier, it says.
Special rules should apply for Christmas
In order to prevent discussions about the further course of the pandemic breaking out again shortly before Christmas, the country leaders propose an automatic mechanism: If it does not succeed by December 20, decisive indicators such as the R-value, the occupancy of the intensive care units and the incidence To press »significantly«, the currently applicable restrictions are to be automatically extended again by 14 days.
According to SPIEGEL information, the submission from the state side probably also provides for a special regulation for Christmas and New Year's Eve.
According to the plans of the federal states, the limit on meetings is to be tightened overall: in future, a maximum of five people from two households should be allowed to meet.
Currently, meetings of two households are allowed regardless of the number of people.
However, the restriction to two households is to be lifted for the holidays.
Then an upper limit of five or ten people should apparently apply regardless of the number of households involved.
The exact value is still the subject of negotiations.
It is clear, however, that children up to the age of 14 are exempt from the regulations.
So they are not counted.
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jok / dpa
