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KShortly before consultations between Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and heads of country on Wednesday on the status of the crown, there was a more heated discussion about the measures that will be taken to prevent the spread of the virus.
The focus of the debate is the accommodation bans for travelers within Germany and the inconsistency of the regulations issued by the individual federal states.
Leading representatives of the medical profession also joined several prime ministers’ criticism of accommodation bans for travelers leaving a corona risk zone in other federal states. The president of the German Medical Association, Klaus Reinhardt, called for the lifting of these bans issued by some federal states.
These are “superfluous and even harmful,” Reinhardt of the “Rheinische Post” said. Even during the intense German domestic tourist traffic in the summer with crowded beaches in the North and Baltic seas, there was no “significant increase in the number of infections”. People are restless and confused by the different and poorly communicated measures. “That certainly does not contribute to a greater acceptance of the anti-crown policy by the federal and state governments,” warned the medical president.
The director of the National Association of Compulsory Health Insurance Physicians, Andreas Gassen, expressed a similar opinion: “Everyone can see that the new measures such as the accommodation ban are nonsense,” he told the “Bild” newspaper. “In this way we are risking the absolutely necessary acceptance of the measures that are still important.”
During deliberations at the Chancellery on Wednesday, the heads of the federal and state governments want to try to agree on more uniform regulations. However, the positions of the federal states, for example on the prohibition of accommodation, diverged beforehand.
For example, the Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Manuela Schwesig (SPD), refused to relax the strict accommodation restrictions in her state, while the Mayor of Berlin, Michael Müller (SPD), harshly criticized the travel restrictions. .
According to information from WELT, the head of government in Schwerin also advised the SPD prime minister on local closures in a preliminary meeting.
Saxony Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer, on the other hand, called for the criteria of the accommodation ban to be verified. “We have to check if the figure 50 per 100,000 inhabitants is correct,” said the CDU politician of “Bild”.
And the Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, Armin Laschet, assumes that the ban on accommodation for people from risk areas can be lifted. “I think today we should try pragmatic solutions,” said the CDU politician in the ARD “Morgenmagazin”. “The problem with the accommodation ban is that many citizens do not understand the rules and tend to weaken acceptance because there is a lack of clarity.”
On the other hand, national level rules are needed for people from regions where the crown limit values are exceeded. He cited the prohibition of alcohol, the curfew and restrictions on private celebrations as examples of such measures. “Then we can make sure that we don’t threaten ourselves with housing bans.” Laschet showed understanding that Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania wants to keep the accommodation ban. “If a country says we want to be particularly careful there, that’s fine.”
Merkel had repeatedly made clear that another shutdown should be avoided. On Tuesday night, Merkel met for a preliminary talk with several prime ministers, the results were not known. Before the meeting, according to information from the German Press Agency, the participants said that this was the correct level of additional restrictions. Restrictions should be established in areas where absolutely necessary. This is probably also the question of what measures are necessary, sensible and acceptable to society as a whole.
Uniformity requirements
The Association of Towns and Municipalities advocated for a uniform “Corona traffic light” nationwide. This would have to define limit values, if exceeded, the restrictions would take effect, said CEO Gerd Landsberg of media group Funke. If the limit of 50 new infections is exceeded in a circle, “the traffic light jumps to red and private events with more than 25 people are prohibited.”
Landsberg also warned that increasingly different regulations from state to state jeopardize the necessary acceptance of people when fighting pandemics: “If citizens are no longer familiar with the jungle of regulations, they will ultimately not pay the necessary attention. to the regulations “.
Leading economists called for attention to traceability and consistency with the new crown regulations. The president of the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), Marcel Fratzscher, told the “Handelsblatt” that the protection of health and the economy needs a “high level of trust on the part of the vast majority of people.” “This requires rules that are understandable and, to some extent, uniform as well.”
The president of the Ifo Institute further said: “I would expect politicians to adopt more and more protective measures that enable economic and social life instead of preventing it.” That means: “More mask requirements and more tests and fewer hosting bans.”
“It is very important that citizens have a uniform and clear management,” Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) said Tuesday night in the ZDF “heute journal”. North Rhine-Westphalia Prime Minister Armin Laschet told “Tagesspiegel” (Wednesday) that citizens have the right to “clear and binding rules that everyone can understand.” Lower Saxony head of government Stephan Weil (SPD) also warned that politicians should also set clear rules when necessary, such as when private celebrations are limited.
Previously, politicians like Baden-Württemberg Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) and Union faction leader Ralph Brinkhaus had urged states to adopt a uniform line. The warning was also sparked by accommodation bans that were passed last week and that were often perceived as incomprehensible.
Expansion of bridging aid?
Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Economy is preparing an extension of the Corona bridge aid. According to information from the Funke media group of the house of the Minister of Economy, Peter Altmaier (CDU), the current bridging aid for companies will run until June 30, 2021. These considerations were confirmed by people from the German Press Agency. Under current regulations, the bridge aid would expire at the end of the year.
The aid is mainly destined to improvements for the hotel and restaurant sector. The event industry and the fair and exhibition industry will also receive more support. Specifically, the ministry is considering better depreciation options, as well as modernization programs and subsidies for renovations during the no-order period.
The measures will be discussed at the Crown summit by Chancellor Merkel and the presidents of the state ministers. For the first time in four months, the conference is not conducted by video, the heads of country come to Berlin for a meeting on site.
Schleswig-Holstein Prime Minister Daniel Günther fought like many other heads of government with the sudden call for the presence crisis meeting. It is a mistake to indulge in “excessive actionism” in view of the expected increase in the number of infections, the Kiel head of government told WELT. “We have good rules and we have made the conscious decision that they can be applied in a regionally differentiated way.” He also basically sees “no need for change” with the controversial accommodation ban for travelers from risky areas.
