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Corona warning on the floor in front of a pharmacy in Hanover: Germany must keep its distance
Photo: Moritz Frankenberg / dpa
Due to the corona crisis, 155 million fewer flight passengers in Germany by October
06.39 a.m.:
Because of the Corona crisis, 155 million fewer passengers flew in Germany between January and October this year than in the same period last year.
This corresponds to a decrease of 72 percent, reports the "Bild am Sonntag", citing the response of the federal government to a small request from the FDP parliamentary group.
The number of flights has decreased by 1.1 million and thus by 63 percent.
Aid organization fears a decline in Christmas donations
5.30 a.m.: The aid organization
Bread for the World
fears a significant slump in donations at Christmas time due to the restrictions in the Corona crisis.
“Because of the tough lockdown, significantly fewer people will attend Christmas services this year.
We therefore fear a drastic decline in the Christmas collections - an important part of our annual income, «said President Cornelia Füllkrug-Weitzel of the German Press Agency in Berlin.
The
Christmas collections
were missing in a year in which the need had risen massively worldwide and the partner organizations were hoping for help.
"The future has become more uncertain for the children this year - for the children here, but especially for the children in many countries in the South," she complained.
“Many parents in poorer regions have lost their income due to lockdowns and exit restrictions.
And the economic situation will worsen further in 2021.
There is usually no social security.
The United Nations estimates that the pandemic has already plunged an additional 150 million children into poverty. "
You can find
advice on
donating in a meaningful way
here: How to do good with your money
Practice doctors expect vaccinations to be taken over probably in summer
5.15 a.m.:
After the planned start in regional vaccination centers, the doctors expect the corona vaccinations in the area to be taken over a few months later.
"We are currently assuming that the practices will probably vaccinate in the summer," said the head of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), Andreas Gassen, of the German Press Agency.
The vaccine, which is now available first, must be stored at minus 70 degrees, which is not manageable in the practices.
But if there is a vaccine that does not have to be so extremely cooled, it can start right away.
Corona crisis will burden national budgets for decades
5.10 a.m.:
There are big regional differences: The two most populous federal states - Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia - have approved up to 65 billion euros in new debts alone.
That is more than the other 14 countries put together.
This is shown by a dpa survey among the 16 state finance ministries.
The front runner is
Bavaria
with
40 billion euros
- almost a third of the new debt approved by the state parliaments.
North Rhine-Westphalia
follows in second place
with
25 billion euros
,
in third place
Baden-Württemberg
with almost
11 billion euros
.
The actual borrowing this year has been much lower so far because some federal states plan their loans for several years in advance.
Brandenburg, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt did not want to submit any water level reports; the new loans actually taken out by the other twelve have so far totaled a good 40 billion euros.
WHO in exchange with British authorities about coronavirus variant
04.28 a.m.:
The World Health Organization (WHO) is in close contact with Great Britain because of the spread of the new variant of the coronavirus.
The WHO tweeted this on Sunday night:
The UK authorities would continue to share information and results of their analyzes and studies.
"We will keep the member states and the public up to date as soon as we learn more about the characteristics of this virus variant and its effects." In the meantime, it is advised to continue taking all protective measures to prevent the virus from spreading.
Laschet questions Christmas services due to high corona numbers
3:50 a.m.:
In view of the high number of corona infections, the North Rhine-Westphalian Prime Minister Armin Laschet has been skeptical as to whether Christmas services can actually take place in the form planned so far.
"In the next few days, in view of the current situation, I will have one more talks with the churches," the CDU politician announced in the "Tagesspiegel am Sonntag".
The Protestant Church in Westphalia has already said that it will also cancel services, Laschet reported:
“The religious communities take the situation very seriously.
They also know that this is the festival of life and charity, and that one has to weigh carefully. "
The corona infection figures suggested "that you have to be even more careful than we thought two weeks ago," Laschet said.
At the same time, freedom to practice one's religion is an important basic right of the constitution.
"That is why we said in North Rhine-Westphalia in March that we would not close churches and synagogues as a state, but that we would rely on the voluntary nature of the churches and religious communities."
Laschet also made it clear that he does not expect the lockdown to end on January 10th.
"There's not even the slightest bit of a chance to talk about it right now," he said when asked about openings.
»After the holidays, the key question will be: What will happen to schools and daycare centers?
It will be a long time before we celebrate parties again. "
Every second German for a ban on Christmas services
03.45 a.m.: In
view of the high number of corona infections, every second German is in favor of a ban on public Christmas services.
In a survey carried out by the YouGov opinion research institute on behalf of the German Press Agency, 50 percent were in favor of banning attendance services, and only 35 percent are in favor of church services.
15 percent did not provide any information.
In contrast to the first Corona wave at Easter, the federal and state governments decided last week against a ban on public Christmas services during the hard lockdown, despite the now significantly higher number of infections and deaths.
However, strict rules apply in the churches such as a mask requirement, a distance requirement and a ban on singing.
The major Christian churches had responded to the restrictions with great understanding.
According to the results of the YouGov survey, however, the rejection of public worship predominates among the faithful.
Among Catholics and Protestants, 47 percent are in favor of a ban on worship and only 38 and 39 percent are against.
Of those belonging to non-Christian faiths, 42 percent were in favor of a ban and 40 against.
Of those surveyed who do not belong to any faith, 58 percent argued for a ban and 30 percent against.
The Netherlands prohibit flights from Great Britain due to new corona mutation
02.33 a.m.:
After the discovery of a new variant of the
corona virus
in Great Britain, passenger
planes
coming from the Kingdom are no longer allowed to land in the Netherlands.
This regulation applies from Sunday morning to January 1, said the government in The Hague.
She also announced that a case of the new mutation had also been discovered in the Netherlands.
The flight ban from Great Britain had been decided by the cabinet of Prime Minister Mark Rutte "as a precaution," said the Ministry of Health on Sunday morning.
It should come into force at 6 a.m. and apply until January 1st.
Possible rules for other traffic routes are currently being reviewed.
The detailed report on the landing ban can be found here: Netherlands ban flights from Great Britain
Corona lockdown in London: Millions of people have to stay at home
In London and other areas in south-east England, there has been a hard shutdown with curfews since Sunday night.
The reason is the rapid spread of a new variant of the coronavirus.
A total of around 16.4 million people are affected by the tightening, almost a third of the population of England.
You are not allowed to meet members of other households over Christmas either.
"As Prime Minister, it is my duty to make difficult decisions and do what must be done to protect the people of this country," Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Twitter on Saturday evening:
He had recently rejected calls from academics and the opposition to enforce tougher measures over the holidays.
Now millions of people have to celebrate alone.
"We're sacrificing the opportunity to see our loved ones this Christmas so we have a better chance to save their lives so we can see them next Christmas," Johnson said.
The Prime Minister warned that the new variant VUI2020 / 12/01 of the corona virus was spreading rapidly.
The mutation is up to 70 percent more contagious than the previously known form.
Many clinics in south-east England are almost fully occupied, and in many places unnecessary operations have been postponed.
Johnson emphasized that there was no evidence that vaccines were less effective against the new corona variant, nor that the disease was more severe or that there were more deaths.
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