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Anne Spiegel, Minister for Family Affairs
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Bernd von Jutrczenka / dpa
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FDP health politician: Good arguments against compulsory vaccination
6.10 a.m .:
A few days before the planned first major Bundestag debate on the possible introduction of compulsory corona vaccination, the health policy spokeswoman for the FDP parliamentary group Christine Aschenberg-Dugnus defended the procedure.
"It is the right way to bring about the formation of political opinions on compulsory vaccination through a cross-party debate in the German Bundestag," she told the dpa news agency.
This is the only way to achieve public acceptance of the decision.
more on the subject
How compulsory vaccination divides the country and the government: A quantum of fear
However, the FDP politician herself is against compulsory vaccination.
"In my opinion, there is no argument against vaccination, but there are good arguments against compulsory vaccination."
»Good vaccination education is more effective than general vaccination.«
A three-hour so-called orientation debate on the subject is planned in the Bundestag on Wednesday.
The mandatory vaccination should be voted on by the end of March, if possible, without party pressure.
It's not just a matter of »yes« or »no«.
Parliamentarians from different parties are coming together for so-called group applications with different proposals for compulsory vaccination.
SPD Vice Kuchaty calls for clarity about the fourth vaccination
5:35 a.m .:
The deputy SPD chairman Thomas Kutschaty expects a clear announcement from the prime ministers’ conference on Monday that a fourth vaccination is currently not necessary. "Many citizens are asking in the doctor's office whether they need a fourth vaccination now," said the opposition leader in the North Rhine-Westphalian state parliament of the dpa news agency. Clarity is needed now. With the third so-called booster vaccination one is well protected, which is also shown by the experiences of the countries in which vaccinations have already been given for the fourth time. "The priority remains that those who are not fully vaccinated can have boosters up to the third vaccination."
The prime ministers of the federal states will discuss how to proceed in the corona pandemic with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) on Monday.
There are no signs of any changes to the existing measures, which Kuchaty welcomes.
"Currently there is no room for easing or tightening," he told the dpa.
»I expect that we will continue to act with a sense of proportion in the pandemic policy and not come to hasty conclusions that we might soon regret.«
Seven-day incidence rises to 840.3
4:23 a.m .:
The Robert Koch Institute registered 63,393 new infections within 24 hours.
28 more people have died in connection with the corona virus.
The federal and state governments are apparently not planning any easing of measures.
Read more here.
DKG survey: 89 percent of clinic staff who come into contact with patients vaccinated
3:31 a.m .: On
average, 89 percent of clinic employees who deal directly with patients have been vaccinated against corona at least twice.
This was reported by the newspapers of the editorial network Germany (RND), citing a representative survey by the German Hospital Society (DKG).
According to the survey, two thirds of the hospitals expect restrictions in patient care if unvaccinated staff are no longer allowed to work from March 16th.
34 percent do not expect that.
Broken down by professional groups, the vaccination rate in the nursing service of the hospitals is the highest at an average of 95 percent.
In intensive care, however, the rate is only 87 percent.
The vaccination rate among doctors is therefore 89 percent.
In administration and care, where about a fifth of the hospital staff is employed, the average vaccination rate of 90 percent is even slightly higher than in the "patient-related" departments.
For comparison: In the total population, 83.6 percent of those over the age of 18 are fully vaccinated.
DKG boss Gerald Gaß told the RND that the numbers show a "encouragingly high" vaccination rate in the clinics.
“At the same time, however, it is also clear that the institution-related obligation to vaccinate can still cause problems in patient care,” he said.
"It is all the more important that legal clarity is created and that the health authorities implement the further procedure uniformly and with appropriate transition periods after March 15," said Gass.
He also called for the immediate implementation of a general obligation to vaccinate.
According to the DKG, 246 hospitals with 50 or more beds were surveyed on January 18th and 19th for the online survey.
CSU and FDP are demanding a relaxation plan from federal and state leaders
2:42 a.m .:
Despite the skyrocketing number of corona infections, politicians from the FDP and CSU are demanding a plan from the federal and state leaders advising on Monday for future relaxation of the protective measures.
CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt told the “Welt” that he expected a clever strategy from the round of prime ministers with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to “move out of the pandemic step by step”.
One thing is clear: »The status of the pandemic will be different with Omikron.
Therefore, the assessment standards must also be adjusted.
It is important to recognize and absorb the effects of fatigue in society.«
Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann (FDP) said in the ARD program “Anne Will” that if the peak of the omicron wave expected for mid-February was exceeded and the numbers in hospitals also fell, the measures would have to be relaxed.
This is self-evident.
more on the subject
Pandemic policy of the federal government: when will we get out of here - and how?
The head of the state parliamentary group of his home association North Rhine-Westphalia, Christof Rasche, went even further and demanded easing at major events and that the 2G regulation in retail and 2G plus in restaurants be abolished.
He pointed out that courts in some states have already overturned 2G in stores.
»We have to enable more normality again in the short term.«
In the draft resolution from Sunday evening (as of 6:00 p.m.) for the federal-state consultations on Monday, it says: “The federal and state governments will develop opening perspectives for the moment when an overload of the health system can be ruled out.” This is explained in more detail not in the paper available to the dpa news agency.
At the same time, it is said that there is "agreement that the rules that have been in force so far will continue to apply".
The chairman of the conference of prime ministers, North Rhine-Westphalian Hendrik Wüst (CDU), pointed out the sharp increase in the number of infections on RTL and ntv.
"The core message is now: no relaxation!" But: "Everything we do must always be proportionate.
We always have to check whether the measures are still necessary, whether they fit, whether they really help to protect people's life and limb.
But that applies to all measures.«
Draft for Corona summit: overloaded laboratories - PCR tests only according to priority
01.55 a.m .:
Due to overloaded laboratories, PCR tests should in future primarily be available to certain groups.
This is what a draft for the federal-state meeting on Monday provides – it also talks about opening perspectives.
Read more here.
Israel: Fourth vaccination apparently increases resistance in over 60-year-olds
1.30
a.m .: According to Israeli information, a fourth corona vaccination significantly increases the resistance to severe Covid 19 disease in over 60-year-olds.
According to the Israeli Ministry of Health, resistance to severe disease in those over 60 after the second booster shot was three times higher than in those of the same age who had only been immunized three times.
The fourth dose also doubled resistance to infection compared to peers with three vaccinations.
Israel has been offering a fourth vaccination to over-60s since early January.
According to the WHO, the end of the pandemic in Europe after the omicron wave is "plausible"
1:15 a.m .:
The World Health Organization (WHO) does not rule out an end to the corona pandemic in Europe after the current omicron wave.
"It is plausible that the region is moving towards the end phase of the pandemic," said WHO Europe chief Hans Kluge on Sunday to the AFP news agency.
At the same time, however, he warned of caution because of possible further mutations in the corona virus.
Kluge explained that when the current omicron wave in Europe has subsided, there will be "global immunity for a few weeks and months, either thanks to vaccination or because people have immunity because of an infection".
In addition, there are seasonal effects, added the WHO representative with a view to the upcoming spring and summer.
"So we're preparing for a period of calm before Covid-19 could come back towards the end of the year, but the pandemic isn't necessarily coming back," Kluge summarized his expectations.
According to WHO estimates, 60 percent of all people in Greater Europe could have been infected with the omicron variant by March.
WHO Europe, which is based in Copenhagen, is responsible for 53 countries and territories not only in Europe but also in Central Asia.
cop/dpa/AFP/Reuters
