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“With these measures we will not spend the winter,” says Merkel.
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Christmas relaxation put to the test
Families and friends should be able to get together on Christmas and New Years Eve. This is what the federal and state governments had actually planned. But because the number of infections isn’t dropping fast enough, there are new considerations.
In view of the continuing high number of infections in Germany, Chancellor Merkel is pushing for further action before Christmas. But in the federal states there is a dispute over whether it is necessary to meet before the holidays.
KAngela Merkel (CDU) believes that decisions on new measures are necessary before Christmas in view of the persistently high number of corona infections. At the moment, she’s talking too much about mulled wine stands and too little about nurses who have to work under high pressure and with great dedication in intensive care units and nursing homes, Merkel said on Monday, according to participants in a video session of the Union faction.
With the measures taken so far, the stagnant number of infections cannot be brought down to too high a level, Merkel said. “With the principle of hope we are not going to go any further,” Merkel said after receiving information from Reuters from the circles of participants on Monday. “It will be a very difficult situation. With these measures, we will not spend the winter, ”he added, referring to the previous partial closure.
That means you won’t be able to get through the winter without additional measures. Now the discussion must take place on how to do what and where. This must be decided before Christmas.
Merkel announced that there would be more talks with the prime minister in the coming days. The measures would always find acceptance if the federal and state governments made a joint decision. Merkel hailed the decisions in Bavaria as steps in the right direction. It is unfortunate that many older people are affected, for example in nursing homes. Rapid tests, for example, are performed under high pressure. However, these would not catch on as quickly as expected.
Merkel praises tough measures in Bavaria
In some federal states such as Saxony, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt and to a certain extent in Brandenburg, the numbers would rise steadily, Merkel said after this information. There is a lot to do here. It’s good that more is being done at hotspots with more than 200 new infections per 100,000 residents per week. But if we look at the situation in some districts of Saxony and Thuringia, a very serious situation has also emerged in hospitals.
Merkel praised the additional measures for the crown hotspots, such as those decided in Bavaria, but also earlier in Saxony or Baden-Württemberg, at the parliamentary group meeting. The federal and state governments agreed on November 25 that the 16 state governments should impose more restrictions in regions with particularly high numbers of new corona infections. However, not all state governments have implemented it so far.
The federal and state governments agreed to allow ten more children to attend family reunions from Dec. 23 through Jan. 1 at the latest. Otherwise, a maximum of five people from two households can be together. In Bavaria, the cabinet decided to maintain only the planned easing from December 23 to 26. In Baden-Württemberg, this is limited from December 23 to 27. In Berlin, a maximum of five people is allowed during the entire holiday. Other federal states are also considering moving away from relaxation during the holidays.
Dispute over another federal-state meeting on Corona before Christmas
There is apparently no uniform opinion in the federal states as to whether the development of corona infection figures makes a meeting of the federal and state governments necessary and sensible before Christmas. Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) had put such a thing into play. Saarland Prime Minister Tobias Hans (CDU) accepted Söder’s request. Thuringian Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left) rejects it.
Hans told the “FAZ”: “We should now meet with the Federal Chancellor on short notice as a group of prime ministers to critically examine the effectiveness of our previous measures and draw the correct conclusions from them.” Even if the numbers are still missing significantly, stricter measures should not be ignored. “I advocate a national shutdown after the holidays.” Left open on whether this just meant Christmas or New Years Eve. “We should take the time to rest and retire,” recommended Hans. A year-end lockdown across the country before January 10 would, in his view, have the advantage that it could have a large effect with less economic damage during this time. If necessary, the start of school could start with a project week in which participation is voluntary.
Hans was clearly in favor of uniformity. “The important thing is: we need a uniform approach across Germany, country-specific regulations don’t do much in the long run. That alone creates acceptance for our crown policy in the population. ” In their opinion, a short, hard lock is more effective in controlling the infection process and minimizes financial damage compared to a one month “lock light”.
Ramelow spoke out against consultations before Christmas. “At the Prime Minister’s Conference, we established regulations until January 10, 2021,” he told the FAZ. Everybody knows what to do. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has a different infection rate than Thuringia. “We have to keep the reins tight and in Thuringia we are concerned with infection prevention and special protection of the elderly and nursing homes. No new meeting will bring us new knowledge ”. But he was willing to do whatever it took to protect himself from the infection, Ramelow said. He is against relaxing the measures decided so far at Christmas. The red-red-green minority government wants to advise this Tuesday.
