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Due to the worsening situation of the crown in Bavaria, Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) has summoned his cabinet for a special meeting this Sunday. According to the State Chancellery, the Council of Ministers wants to discuss “new measures” by video at 12 noon. Specifically, this should mean a further tightening of the course in the fight against the pandemic.
In recent days, Söder had repeatedly suggested that he deemed a tougher course necessary due to the continuing increase in the number of new infections. During a visit to Corona Passau hotspot on Thursday, for example, he said that the extension of the partial shutdown decided this week by the federal and state governments will not be enough to sustainably reduce the number of new infections. Although the exponential growth that was still present in October has stopped, the numbers will continue to rise. The state government is also concerned about the uncontrolled outbreak in hotspots such as the Passau and Nuremberg regions.
In this context, Söder spoke of “improvements” and publicly expressed doubts that the relaxation of the contact requirements that had been planned for the period between Christmas and New Year was still justified in the current infection situation. “If the numbers remain like this, it will also become clear that, for example, on New Year’s Eve, the number of contacts must also be reduced,” Söder said on Thursday. However, according to reports, the easing will continue to be fulfilled during the Christmas period.
Saarland Prime Minister Tobias Hans (CDU) has also spoken out in favor of stricter rules on New Year’s Eve. “One thing is clear: we must not take risks, not even on New Year’s Eve,” the CDU politician told the Augsburger Allgemeine. “That is why we should, if the numbers remain at this high level, play it safe and return to current strict Corona regulations before New Year’s Eve.” as in some places in access points.
Stronger rules can be devised in schools and retail
The federal and state governments decided on Wednesday to extend the current partial shutdown until January 10. For the period from December 23 to January 1 at the most, it had previously been planned to allow meetings “with family and close friends” up to a maximum of ten people, excluding from the count children up to 14 years of age. New Year’s Eve fireworks are only forbidden in busy squares and streets, but the recommendation is: “As little as possible.”
At what points Bavaria wants to harden its course is open. More difficult measures are conceivable, for example in the field of schools and retail, but also tighter exit restrictions. Anyone who has listened to Söder in recent days has found many indications that he, unlike his coalition partner Free Voters, prefers significantly stricter rules. The country “cannot sleep forever,” he said.
Due to the persistently high number of corona infections, the city of Passau and the Regen district in Lower Bavaria extended the applicable exit restrictions there on Friday. In Nuremberg, too, there are strict guidelines for people, like when they leave their homes.
Nationwide, the State Office for Health and Food Safety recorded 4,402 new infections on Friday (as of clock), and since the pandemic outbreak, more than 223,000 people in the Free State have been shown to have contracted the virus. The number of deceased is 4176, 159,790 are considered recovered. In much of the country, authorities can no longer trace the chains of infection.
