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The meeting agreed, among other things, that no later than after an incidence of 35 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in one week, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) will send experts to the respective crisis teams at the request of the affected city. Furthermore, at the request of the cities, the Bundeswehr should send experts to the respective crisis teams to advise and coordinate the necessary federal support services.
According to the resolutions, cities should introduce more extensive restrictions no later than when the value rises to 50 infections. According to the dpa news agency, this includes, for example, expanding the mandatory mask to include public spaces if the necessary distance cannot be maintained there. There are also curfew and alcohol restrictions for restaurants, as well as more restrictions on the number of participants in private events and celebrations.
The metropolises should relieve their regulatory agencies so they can control the restrictions. Federal and state governments should give short notice of how federal and state law enforcement can help. If the increase in the number of infections does not stop after a maximum of ten days, “new specific restriction measures are inevitable,” says the decision document that is available to SPIEGEL.
“It is now decided how Germany will overcome the pandemic in winter”
“I am well aware that the rules that are now being imposed are damaging,” Merkel said after the video conference. He especially appealed to young people to follow the rules. Young people may find restrictions on celebrations or the curfew excessive, the chancellor said. But he asked if it wasn’t worth having a little patience and thinking about family and grandparents. He also mentioned the learning opportunity, for example. The priority is to keep the economy going and for children and young people to be able to attend daycare centers and schools.
The party scene in various cities is seen as a trigger for the growing number of infections. The Association of Towns and Municipalities asked for more educational work on social networks. Young people need to make it clear, especially through social media, that they are not only putting themselves in danger but also others, said managing director Gerd Landsberg at ZDF.
In Berlin and other cities like Bremen, the so-called 7-day incidence has already exceeded the critical value of 50. In the capital, the value on Thursday was 52.8.
“It is now decided how Germany will overcome the pandemic in winter,” Merkel said. The development in metropolitan areas shows “if we can keep the pandemic in Germany under control or if control is escaping us.” The goal should be to keep the numbers in a range where each infection can be traced and each contact can be traced and warned. Merkel campaigned to understand the restrictions that hit the restaurant industry hard. However, the main goal is not to close public life, if possible, to the extent that it was necessary in the spring.
