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The partial closure with closed restaurants, museums, theaters and leisure facilities will run until January 10. This was decided by Chancellor Angela Merkel and the prime ministers of the federal states during the deliberations on Wednesday, as later announced by the CDU politician. “In principle, the condition remains as it is now,” Merkel said.
Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) said Corona’s situation was “by no means” relaxed. It is okay to extend the partial lock. Söder also indicated a possible tightening of measures in the future. Then you have to consider: better shorter, more consistent than longer, semi-consistent.
Germany is still “a long way off” from its target values in the pandemic. Merkel said the number of deaths was very high. This shows the responsibility of the federal and state governments. In seven days, a value of 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants should be reached, Merkel said.
Health authorities reported 487 coronavirus-related deaths to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) within 24 hours, as the RKI announced on Wednesday. This is the highest daily value since the beginning of the pandemic. Furthermore, a relatively large number of people in Germany are still infected with the virus. There has been a slight decrease in new infections in recent days, but the expected effect of the partial closure has yet to materialize.
The partial closure, in effect since November, with restaurant closures, for example, had been extended last week until just before Christmas. The decision document said the federal and state governments assumed that extensive restrictions would be necessary until early January due to the high level of infection, especially in the restaurant and hotel area.
Tui receives billions in government aid
The Tui travel company, which has been badly affected by the corona pandemic, is receiving more state aid. As the world’s largest travel company announced on Wednesday, Tui reached an agreement with the federal government, as well as private investors and banks on a € 1.8 billion financing package.
The funds were required to offset losses caused by travel restrictions and associated short-term booking behavior. The package strengthens TUI’s position and provides it with sufficient liquidity reserves, he said.
Therefore, 500 million of the package will be borne by private investors, which will be made available to the Hannover travel company as a capital increase. The state economic stabilization fund (FSM) participates with silent contributions of more than 420 million euros, which can be converted into Tui shares. The WSF carries an additional 280 million euros as silent non-convertible contributions. With this form of participation, the “silent” partner participates in the profits of a company, but not in its capital.
Tui has been hit hard economically since the start of the pandemic. The state is already supporting the group with three billion euros after Tui was backed with loans in the spring and September. The company is already following a course in austerity and has cut thousands of jobs.
172 infected at the Tönnies slaughterhouse in Saxony-Anhalt
172 employees are currently infected with the corona virus at a Tönnies slaughterhouse in Weißenfels in Saxony-Anhalt. A spokeswoman for the Burgenland district announced Wednesday that serial tests had previously been conducted among slaughterhouse workers. The company now wants to place those affected in a separate quarantine facility. There should be new tests at the end of the week. However, the plant will remain open for now.
According to the company, around 2,200 workers are employed at the Weißenfels site. This makes it the second largest company of the Tönnies company in Germany. In summer, the Tönnies company had to temporarily close a plant in North Rhine-Westphalia due to a large number of infections among workers. A blockade was imposed in the Gütersloh district due to the outbreak.
Corona pandemic exacerbates cyberbullying among students
The number of schoolchildren affected by cyberbullying in Germany has increased by 36 percent in the last three years. According to a study by the Alliance Against Cyberbullying and Techniker Krankenkasse, around one in six students (17.3 percent) is affected by hostility and exposure online. There are two million children, adolescents and young adults.
According to the study, the increase is also related to the corona pandemic. Homeschooling and contact restrictions would have resulted in even more social contacts in the digital space. Prevention through school is even more difficult in such conditions than it is.
Most of those affected feel hurt or angry about cyberbullying. According to the survey, one in four people have spoken of suicidal ideation. “It is very clear that today there is more targeted and harsher harassment than three years ago,” explains the president of the Alliance Against Cyberbullying, Uwe Leest.
Cyberbullying takes place mainly through smartphones. According to the study, they are mostly insults, but lies and nasty photos are often spread and fake profiles are created.
After 2013 and 2017, students, parents and teachers were surveyed online on the subject for the third time. 6000 people from all over Germany participated in the survey.
Federal President Steinmeier wants a public commemoration for the victims of the crown
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has confirmed his desire for an official mourning event for the victims of the crown. “To better process all of this as a society, I would like, in due course, a public memorial for the many dead from the corona pandemic and their families, who often cannot even provide assistance,” Steinmeier said. time.
Many people died “a bitter and lonely death,” added the federal president. With all the medical and hygienic issues, financial and economic challenges, there is something about this pandemic that has not been discussed much so far, “but it leaves a deep impression on all of us: we have all been seriously vulnerable again for a long time in our lives. life faced “. Steinmeier continues: “Now we are experiencing that the core of existence is depending on others. Many experience this as an attack on their self-esteem, as insecurity, and in some it causes rejection.”
The federal government had also welcomed considerations for a state commemoration of the victims of the corona pandemic. “I think it is worth talking about,” said government spokesman Steffen Seibert in Berlin. He responded to the proposal of the Bishop of Limburg, Georg Bätzing, president of the Conference of German Catholic Bishops, to organize a day of remembrance for the victims.
Saxony introduces exit restrictions
In view of the very high number of new infections in Saxony, the Free State of Saxony is now taking a tougher course, according to Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer. “There is an exit restriction in almost the entire Free State (…)”, says the CDU politician in ZDF. People can only leave home for important reasons. According to the state government, this should apply to urban districts and districts with a seven-day incidence value greater than 200. This mark exceeded ten out of 13 independent districts and cities in Saxony on Wednesday morning.
Prime Minister Kretschmer said the number of new infections had to be reduced quickly because hospitals were already extremely stressed. “It is imperative to act urgently,” warns Kretschmer and calls on the population to take the situation very seriously. According to the Robert Koch Institute, the incidence value for seven days in Saxony was 261.5 on Wednesday morning; this is the highest value of all the federal states.
Report: Corona infections reported in German pets for the first time
In Germany, two cases have been detected for the first time since the national obligation to report corona infections in pets was introduced. What does the New Osnabrück newspaper with reference to Thomas Mettenleiter, president of the Friedrich Loeffler Institute. Therefore, the infected are a cat from Frankfurt am Main and a dog from Munich. Antibodies are said to have already been detected in the cat.
However, when it comes to the course of the pandemic, the expert does not see pets as a major problem. There are no known cases in which animals have naturally infected humans. Known infections were the other way around. “The pandemic happens between people,” Mettenleiter said.
