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Lots of people, no distance, no face mask – this image was recently shown in some protests against the crown pads. Thuringian Health Minister Heike Werner has had enough. All information on the news blog.
Worldwide, more than 4.1 million people are already infected with the corona virus, and more than 283,000 people have died. There are more than 7,500 deaths in Germany. However, many countries around the world have gradually begun to relax restrictions to combat Covid-19.
Minister calls for sanctions for violations of crown demonstrations
Thuringian Health Minister Heike Werner (left) has called on police to act more consistently at protest events against the anti-crown requirements. “I hope that the police are better prepared for the upcoming protests,” Werner in Erfurt told the German Press Agency. Security authorities would have to learn from the experiences of the recent protests, in which people, for example, repeatedly failed to keep their distance from others or were on the move without a mouth guard.
If participants demonstrably violate hygiene standards, Werner considers the sanctions appropriate. “It is also a matter of justice for all those who abide by the rules,” he said.
Laumann calls for a hygiene concept for slaughterhouses
After the accumulation of corona infections in slaughterhouses, the Minister for Health of North Rhine-Westphalia, Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU), has demanded a consistent hygiene concept from operators. It’s not just about the operation, but also about the living situation of the workers and the transport from the apartment to the slaughterhouse, Laumann said in Düsseldorf on Monday.
Angela Merkel: the chancellor calls on the population to continue acting with caution. (File Image) (Source: photothek / imago images)
Chancellor Merkel: “New phase of the pandemic”
Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) made a brief statement after a video conference with the Harz District Health Department, District Administrator Martin Skiebe and Saxony-Anhalt Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff. In it, Merkel repeatedly appealed to the German population: “We are entering a new phase of the pandemic.” Now it was necessary “that with all the tranquility we really have the certainty that people will stick to the basic requirements,” Merkel said. This includes keeping your distance, wearing a mouth and nose guard, and taking care of each other. “This is very important,” the chancellor finished her short speech.
Putin declares end of crown-related paid vacation
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the end of paid holidays that have been in place for more than a month due to the crown crisis. “Starting tomorrow, May 12, the paid vacations that will apply throughout the country and in all economic sectors will end,” the head of state said in a televised speech. The fight against the pandemic crown is not yet over, Putin warned.
In a speech on Russian television: Vladimir Putin warned that the fight against the crown pandemic was not yet over. (Source: imago images)
The danger persists, he emphasized in his speech to the nation, which is a signal for a gradual relaxation of the crown’s restrictions. Putin had declared April to be the month of paid vacation in Russia. This was intended to curb the spread of the crown pandemic.
Covid-19 Clinic completed at the Berlin fairgrounds
A Corona reserve hospital was built on the Berlin fair grounds in a few weeks. Initially, around 500 infected and Covid-19 patients could be isolated and treated if the Berlin clinics reached their limits in the course of the pandemic. “Because images from Italy, Spain and New York showed us that well-positioned hospital systems can be overloaded,” said Health Senator Dilek Kalayci (SPD) at the official opening of the new treatment center on Monday. A total of up to 1,000 spare beds could be created there.
The Corona treatment center at the Berlin fairgrounds: if the worst becomes worse, there is room for around 500 Covid-19 patients. (Source: Kay Nietfeld / dpa)
Coesfeld restrictions could be relaxed
The Minister for Health of North Rhine-Westphalia, Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU), sees possibilities that it is no longer necessary to postpone crown protection measures in the Coesfeld district. If the infection process is concentrated in the closed slaughterhouse area and there are no other infections in the area, the restrictions could be lifted over the weekend in the Coesfeld district, Laumann said.
After the outbreak of corona infections at the Coesfeld district slaughterhouse, the country had postponed many relaxation events until May 18. This affects, among other things, the opening of restaurants, fitness studios and dance schools. Even large stores in the Coesfeld district were not allowed to open more than 800 square meters of retail space on Monday.
Germany: € 750 million for a special vaccine research program.
The federal government is financing the development of a coronavirus vaccine with up to 750 million euros. Federal Investigation Minister Anja Karliczek said in Berlin that two-thirds of this was due to the expansion of the studies, the rest to secure production in Germany later. A special program for this will be launched. Exact financing guidelines are now being developed, there should be no double financing. “Developing and manufacturing a vaccine is the key challenge in controlling the current pandemic,” said Karliczek. It is the key to living a normal life again, said the research minister.
The new special program complements Germany’s internationally committed funds. A global alliance to develop a corona vaccine had raised € 7.4 billion in pledges last week. 525 million euros came from Germany.
As soon as a vaccine is found, it must be produced “on a large scale,” the research minister said. “We still cannot expect miracles,” he said. One has to be prepared for setbacks in vaccine research, unfortunately that is one of them. It was still assumed that no vaccine would be found before 2021 or even 2022.
Cologne Cathedral reopened to tourists
The Cologne Cathedral is open to tourists again after an eight-week break, but is subject to conditions. After church services have been possible again since the beginning of the month in the Corona crisis, the cathedral should gradually be made accessible to more people in a responsible manner, a spokesman for the cathedral in Cologne said. “The cathedral should be open to everyone.”
One of the requirements is that a maximum of 200 visitors can stay in the cathedral at the same time. The oral protection obligation applies to visitors. You can only go through a certain route in the church. Guided tours and climbing the south tower are not yet possible, the spokesperson said. The choir hall around the Epiphany was also closed due to construction work.
Since March 15, the Cologne Cathedral was only open for silent prayer due to the crown pandemic. According to the cathedral chapter, an average of 16,000 to 20,000 people visit the cathedral every day. It is one of the most visited places of worship in Germany.
Merkel warns once again about caution in the crown crisis
Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) once again called for caution in facing the pandemic, given the protests against conditions in the crown crisis. Many people were reported to have been shopping without masks over the weekend, Merkel said, according to information from the participants’ German news agency, Monday in a video section of the CDU Presidium. In part, this behavior was even seen as a test of courage, the Chancellor criticized. But the command must still comply with the applicable distance rules.
Merkel went on to say that only in two to three weeks would it be known how the easing of crown restrictions decided last week had an impact on infection numbers. He also announced that this Wednesday in the Bundestag, during the government survey, he would comment again on the relevant measures for the federal government to classify the pandemic. Merkel and the federal government have recently been accused of causing confusion with different key figures.
Wuhan reports new coronavirus infections again
In the Chinese metropolis of Wuhan, authorities reported new infections with the corona virus for the second consecutive day. In a residential area of the city, five new infections were confirmed on Monday, authorities said. In the quarter, an infection was found Sunday in an 89-year-old man, the first in more than a month.
Wuhan’s central Chinese industrial metropolis is the origin of the coronavirus pandemic. To curb the virus, authorities quarantined the entire city for more than two months. Since the curfew was lifted about four weeks ago, Wuhan has been considered a “low risk” area. However, in the affected neighborhood, the level of infection risk has now risen from “low” to “medium”.
Temperature measurement for students: In Wuhan, the crown constraints were relaxed after more than two months. (Source: Chinatopix / AP / dpa)
The Hamburg police found many violations of the crown rules.
Hamburg police discovered several violations of the crown-related contact restrictions last weekend. 220 administrative crimes were initiated and 120 dismissals were pronounced, a spokeswoman said. Read more about this here. What rules apply in your state? look here
Decrease in the number of new deaths in Spain
The number of deaths from coronavirus reported daily in Spain has fallen to its lowest level in seven weeks. The Ministry of Health reports 123 new deaths. It can be shown that a total of 26,744 people died as a result of infection with the new virus in Spain. The number of confirmed infections increased by 3,046 to 227,436 in 24 hours.
Russia Reports Record Increase In New Infections
Russia reports a new high with 11,656 new infections. This brought the number of proven infections to 221,344. Infections in Russia have increased by more than 10,000 per day. Authorities also attribute this to a larger testing program. The number of deaths increased by 94 in 24 hours to 2,009.
Coesfeld: Cases increased further over the weekend
In the Coesfeld district, the number of infections increased further after a crown outbreak at a meat company. A district spokesman said 780 infections were reported Sunday in the district, 35 more than Saturday. According to the Robert Koch Institute, the number of new infections in the district was just under 96, and therefore significantly higher than the specified upper limit of 50 new infections per 100,000 residents in the past seven days. Many of the loosening of the crown requirements, for example for restaurants and shops, planned from Monday onwards, will be postponed in the district for a week, as the district announced.
Those affected in the Coesfeld district include 230 people infected from the Westfleisch plant. 952 of the approximately 1,200 employees have already been evaluated there, a company spokesperson said. The location remains closed. There was also mass testing on Sunday at a Westfleisch factory in Hamm. About 1,000 employees were evaluated there, the rest should follow on Monday, a Westfleisch spokesman said. There were no results for tests at Hamm on Monday. Where the upper limit was also exceeded read here
Westfleisch Wholesale Slaughterhouse: In Coesfeld, the value of new infections per 100,000 population has already been exceeded. (Source: Kirchner-Media / imago images)
Experts: Corona crisis could promote vaccination readiness
Many people anxiously await vaccination against the new coronavirus. But there are also opposing views: At weekend protests against state measures to combat the pandemic, there were also opponents of the vaccination. According to expert Bernd Harder of the Society for the Scientific Study of Para Sciences, the corona crisis could, in the medium term, induce vaccination skeptics to rely more on vaccines in the future. “Because they see what a world without vaccines could be like.”
The pandemic also shows us how viruses can threaten our society, our prosperity, and our existence. “My impression is that the vast majority of the population is very inclined to the idea of vaccination,” says Christian Bogdan, an Erlangen infection immunologist, who is also a member of the Standing Committee on Vaccination (Stiko) of the Robert Koch Institute ( RKI).
Warning of problems when starting daycare and school operations
The municipal and municipal association warns of enormous difficulties in starting school and kindergarten in the coming weeks. “We have to organize a shift operation so that there are never too many children in the school building at the same time,” the association’s president, Uwe Brandl, told the “Welt” newspaper on Monday. “We have to adjust the bus cycle times so that all students come to schools.” In rural areas, separate bus routes would have to be arranged for this.
According to the above requirements, there must be bidding procedures to find the cheapest entrepreneur. “If we continue to do this, we will not be able to establish a bus service until October,” Bradl said. “We need quick decisions, including decisions that may take place outside of previous public procurement practice.”
Spahn demands constant action on the site
Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) has called on state and municipal authorities to take consistent measures in the fight against the coronavirus. “We need the courageous and comprehensive approach on the site,” Spahn stressed Sunday night in the ZDF’s “Today Journal”. It is very important to quickly understand all infections and isolate contacts. Only if the counties acted immediately, could the numbers be prevented from increasing again across the country.
The federal government largely gave federal states a free hand last week to relax crown requirements. However, one type of emergency mechanism was agreed: according to this, strict restrictions should be applied again in the region in question if more than 50 new infections are registered for every 100,000 inhabitants in a week. There are now five locations in Germany where this upper limit is exceeded. Read more here.
Spahn defended the deal against criticism. “It works,” he said. It is important that everyone stick together. The debate is becoming increasingly polarized, as evidenced by demonstrations against Corona’s requirements. Therefore, politicians must explain and explain the necessary measures even better. It was too early to make everything clear: “We are still in the midst of this pandemic,” Spahn said.
Jens Spahn: The Federal Minister of Health calls for swift action in the regions. (Source: Peter Kneffel / dpa)
To make reading easier and reduce load times, editors start the news blog again at this point. You can read about past developments in the crown crisis here.
