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Corona test in the Chinese city of Xi'an: A lockdown also applies here
Photo: Tao Ming / AP
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Fear of Omikron:
Thailand
wants to maintain stricter entry rules
6:32 a.m.:
For fear of the spread of the
omicron variant of the corona virus
, Thailand does not want to relax the entry
rules
that were tightened before Christmas until at least the end of the month.
"In the interests of health and safety, we have decided to postpone the reintroduction of the Test & Go model," quoted the newspaper Bangkok Post as saying Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Tuesday.
The proposal still has to be approved by the Covid Crisis Center CCSA.
On December 21, the government decided to adopt the quarantine-free "Test & Go" model, according to which, since November, tourists who have been fully vaccinated only have to do a PCR test upon arrival and then wait one night in their hotel for the result, initially until the 4th January suspend.
The situation should then be reassessed.
Vacationers who had already registered for entry under the “Test & Go” model were exempt from the stricter regulations and were allowed to travel to Thailand as planned.
You can continue to do so, but only until January 10th.
New registrations are currently no longer accepted.
Anyone who wants to come anyway has to be in quarantine for seven or ten days - depending on the country of origin and vaccination status.
The sandbox model on the largest island of Phuket, which has been running since July and where fully vaccinated tourists can take a quarantine-free vacation under certain conditions, is still running.
However, concerns about the spread of the new variant are great on the island: According to authorities, 144 Omicron infections were recently recorded on Phuket, among locals and tourists.
New infections and the seven-day incidence rise again significantly
04.27 a.m.:
The trend towards increasing corona key figures continues.
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported 30,561 new infections within 24 hours.
That's 9,481 cases more than Tuesday a week ago when 21,080 positive tests were reported.
The nationwide seven-day incidence is also increasing: from 232.4 the previous day to 239.9.
The value indicates how many people per 100,000 inhabitants have been infected with the corona virus in the past seven days.
356 other people died from the virus.
This increases the number of reported deaths within one day to 112,579.
In total, more than 7.23 million corona tests have so far been positive in Germany.
The RKI points out that fewer tests will be carried out at the turn of the year and therefore fewer cases will probably be reported.
Hundreds of corona cases: cruise season in Brazil interrupted
02.35 a.m.:
In view of numerous corona cases on ships, cruise operations in Brazil will be interrupted until January 21. The Brazilian branch of the industry association Clia announced the decision on Monday and stressed that it was voluntary. It applies immediately to new departures - ships that are already in service will complete their voyages as planned. The association will try to resolve differences with the responsible authorities about the interpretation and application of measures that have already been agreed.
Due to corona cases on board, the health surveillance authority Anvisa said it had ordered two cruises to be canceled and recommended the Ministry of Health to temporarily end the cruise season.
Anvisa also announced investigations against the two cruise companies operating in Brazil - MSC Cruises from Switzerland and Costa Crociere from Italy - for possible non-compliance with health regulations.
In the nine days from December 26 to January 3, a total of 798 people tested positive for the corona virus among passengers and crews of the five cruise ships in Brazil, Anvisa announced.
In the 55 days before, since the start of the season on November 1, there were 31 cases.
60 percent of the most recent cases of infection were found among crew members.
Protests in several federal states - police officer is bitten
1:34 a.m.:
During illegal protests against Corona measures, there were riots on Monday evening in Lichtenstein near Zwickau.
Police officers were attacked in the western Saxon city, and a total of 14 officers were injured.
"One person tried to wrest the service weapon from an officer and one policeman was bitten by someone in the gathering," the police department said.
According to this, around 60 violent young people had mingled in a crowd of around 200 demonstrators.
“They resisted the police measure with several attempts to breach the police force and massively attacked the officers.
In addition, participants sprayed irritants against the emergency services, "the authorities continued.
According to their own statements, the police also used pepper spray.
As a result, the personal details of 40 violent participants have been determined and reports of dangerous physical harm and assault on a law enforcement officer have been filed, it said.
Reports of administrative offenses were also made against 30 demonstrators for violating the Corona Emergency Ordinance.
In other places it remained largely relaxed.
According to the police, up to 1,000 people came together in Bautzen alone.
In the east Saxon city, in which twelve police officers had been injured in action the week before, two demonstration platoons had formed.
As a police spokesman announced on request, both elevators could be stopped.
The situation has remained clear, it said.
Firecrackers could be heard here and there.
Corona protest and "lying press" slogans in front of the ZDF capital studio
1.30 a.m.:
An elevator with several hundred opponents of the Corona policy held an interim rally on Monday evening in front of the ZDF capital city studio and shouted slogans such as »Lies press«. A "Tagesspiegel" reporter published a video on Twitter in which the slogans of the demonstrators could be heard. According to the police, there were no violent incidents. At around 8:30 p.m. the registered elevator ended at Alexanderplatz in Berlin, where it had started. The German Association of Journalists spoke on Twitter of a "small radical minority of vaccine opponents, lateral thinkers, corona deniers, media haters and anti-democracy" who had gathered in front of the ZDF capital studio. The solidarity of the association applies to the colleagues on site and in the building.
City federation calls for solid corona database before federal-state round
00:05:
Before the federal-state round on how to proceed in the corona pandemic, the association of cities and municipalities warned against decisions based on incomplete figures.
“We need a solid database on the infection rate as soon as possible.
Otherwise politics cannot decide, "said the managing director of the German Association of Municipalities, Gerd Landsberg, of" Bild ".
According to Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD), it can be assumed that the actual corona incidence in Germany is currently two to three times as high as reported. The background to this is that fewer tests were carried out over the holidays and fewer test results were reported. Lauterbach's spokesman confirmed on Monday that there would be "very valid figures" by the end of the week. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the Prime Ministers want to discuss how to proceed in the pandemic again this Friday.
The chairman of the board of the German Hospital Society (DKG), Gerald Gaß, considers the timing of the consultations to be problematic due to the current Corona data situation.
“But I expect the MPK to have a step-by-step plan for the expected increase in the number of infections, above all to protect the critical infrastructure.
That means which measures should be used at what point in time, "said the DKG boss to the editorial network in Germany.
Under no circumstances should a situation similar to that in spring 2020 arise.
GEW boss calls for a shortening of quarantine for teachers
00.01 a.m.:
The Education and Science Union (GEW) advocates shortening the corona quarantine for teachers. "Before the holidays, a large number of employees were in quarantine at some schools, which is why distance lessons had to take place in some cases," said GEW chairman Maike Finnern to the editorial network in Germany. She would therefore appreciate it if vaccinated and recovered employees without symptoms could shorten the quarantine with a PCR test.
Under the pressure of increasing Omikron numbers, the federal and state governments want to advise on shortening quarantine periods on Friday. The Federal Government's Expert Council is due to discuss the situation this Tuesday. In his first statement before Christmas, he had warned of the "explosive spread" of Omikron and "high risks for the critical infrastructure" if a large number of employees who are necessary for basic services were in quarantine at the same time.
The culture ministers of the federal states want to talk about how to proceed on Wednesday.
The GEW boss reiterated the demand to keep the schools open in principle.
"Face-to-face classes should be continued across the board," said Finnern.
"It cannot be that children and adolescents are taught from home for weeks on end."
Finnern called for regular PCR tests in schools so that face-to-face teaching would remain safe.
"It's best to start testing every day, including recovered and vaccinated students," she said.
It is also important that the mask requirement remains in the classroom.
ptz / AFP / dpa / Reuters
