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Kanzlerin Merkel will mit einem zeitlich beschränkten Lockdown die anschwellende Corona-Infektionswelle brechen.
© KAY NIETFELD
Berlin – The federal and state governments enact extensive and drastic contact restrictions for Germany in November. In view of the rapid spread of the coronavirus, restaurants, as well as leisure, cultural and sports facilities will have to close during the next month from November 2. A national health emergency must be prevented, Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) said Wednesday night after consultations with the 16 prime ministers.
People’s contacts would have to be reduced by 75 percent to stop the virus. “We have to break the trend,” demanded the chancellor. “We prescribe a four-week therapy. We hope the dose is correct,” said Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU). He spoke of a “differential lock”. Berlin’s ruling mayor, Michael Müller (SPD), emphasized that businesses, commerce, schools and kindergartens should definitely stay open.
The measures are applied at the national level without exceptions
This time, the chancellor and the prime minister decided in an unknown unit, tough measures that should be applied throughout the country without exception. Merkel expressed hope that the restrictions will persist in court. Now the Bundestag and state parliaments will be included. Merkel wanted to brief the leaders of the parliamentary group in the Bundestag that night. He wants to make a government statement on Thursday and then consult with the other 26 EU heads of state and government in the evening. Unlike Corona’s first wave in spring, there should be no new border controls. Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Olaf Scholz spoke of a “month of truth” on Twitter.
The deliberations were also influenced by the new figures of the Robert Koch Institute. Consequently, there were 14,964 new positive tests in 24 hours. Government circles were particularly concerned that 85 people died in connection with Corona in one day. This is a significant increase in recent days. Merkel noted that the number of intensive care patients and those with civil servants had doubled in a few days. The health system is already as tense as it was in the spring, Müller said, referring to an assessment by the Berlin Charité. In many countries neighboring the EU, the situation is even described as worse. The Czech Republic, for example, reported 15,663 new positive tests, the number of deaths from corona increased by 182 in 24 hours.
Measures for Merkel “proportionate and justifiable”
She believed the measures were “proportionate and justifiable,” Merkel said in response to criticism from representatives of doctors and business associations. She hopes that, in view of the rapid increase in the crown number, political acceptance of the restrictions will be higher than two weeks ago. Theaters, operas, concert halls, fairs, cinemas, amusement parks, and arcades must close for four weeks. Recreational sports will stop in November, sports facilities and swimming pools will be closed, as well as fitness studios. Hairdressers should be allowed to continue working, but not nail and tattoo studios. Medically necessary treatments, such as physical therapy, are still possible. Travel should be kept to a minimum.
Söder praised the federal government’s offers of compensation for the affected companies as an “exceptionally good offer.” The federal government wants to provide up to 10 billion euros in compensation as “emergency aid.” Small businesses that must close in November should receive 75 percent of the turnover for the same month last year. For larger companies, it should be 70 percent. The self-employed should also benefit from the program. This aid was seen as the key to the Prime Minister’s consent to restaurant closures, for example.
The National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) and dozens of medical professional associations had harshly criticized the deliberations. In particular, curfews are viewed critically: “From a social and epidemiological point of view, it is better when people are in public spaces with hygiene concepts in optimal conditions than when social encounters are moved to private interiors. comparatively less secure, “says a joint document. A similar argument is made in an open letter from representatives of the restaurant and retail industry to Merkel. Thousands of representatives from the events and culture industry demonstrated against new restrictions on Wednesday in Berlin. (TT.com, Reuters)
The measures provided in detail:
- CONTACTS: Only members of two households can meet in public, a maximum of ten people.
- GASTRONOMY: Restaurants, bars, clubs, discos and pubs will be closed. The delivery and collection of food for consumption at home is also allowed. The dining rooms can also open.
- LEISURE: Recreational facilities will be closed. These include theaters, operas, concert halls, trade shows, cinemas, amusement parks, and arcades.
- SPORT: Fitness studios, pools, and fun pools will be closed. Amateur sports operations will be suspended, so the clubs will no longer be able to train. Individual sports, like jogging alone, are still allowed. Professional sport like the Bundesliga is only allowed without spectators.
- SERVICES: Cosmetic studios, massage practices and tattoo studios are closed because the minimum distance cannot be maintained here. Medically necessary treatments, for example performed by a physical therapist, are still possible. The hairdressers also remain open.
- SUPERMARKETS: Retail remains open, but there are regulations on how many customers can be in the store at the same time.
- SCHOOLS AND KINDERS: Schools and kindergartens remain open.
