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Thursday 10 December 2020
New federal-state meeting
The hard lock will probably be decided on Sunday
The lines at the state chancelleries of the federal states are shining: the federal and state governments are discussing new steps in the fight against the corona virus. After reminders that have recently become increasingly urgent, it is clear: closure is coming. The only question is when.
The federal and state governments want to agree to a closure over the weekend. “We are currently assuming that the Prime Minister’s Conference will take place on Sunday,” Schleswig-Holstein Prime Minister Daniel Günther said after a cabinet meeting in Kiel. The state’s own expert council had encouraged his government to take “quick and tough action.” Günter campaigned for a national shutdown “to be carried out in a friendly manner.” At Sunday’s meeting, therefore, “he will work to make this happen as quickly as possible.”
It’s becoming increasingly clear: Germany is not controlling the second wave of the crown despite the partial lockdown that has been in place for weeks. Meanwhile, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) even warns that the situation will not change. In view of these numbers, more and more federal states want to close public and private life faster than before.
Spahn: We must close the company
For example, the Prime Minister of Bavaria, Markus Söder, called for a strict and constant closure from Christmas. We need to have exit restrictions in all parts of Germany and curfews at hotspots at night. The state of Berlin is planning significant restrictions on retail and longer school holidays. Prime Minister Michael Müller does not rule out that many stores are closed before Christmas. The Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Manuela Schwesig, considers Christmas to be the last closing date and was open at an earlier date.
Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn also called for additional restrictions. “There needs to be a general closure in society for all of us during the turn of the year,” said the CDU politician in the Bundestag.
In view of the development of the pandemic, RKI President Lothar Wieler said it was important to avoid relaxation during Christmas. After the number of cases was at a high level for weeks, an increase can now be seen again, he said. The number of cases could rapidly increase again exponentially, but a few additional cases would suffice. “We have to avoid that,” emphasized the head of RKI.
The Leopoldina National Academy of Sciences recommended a strict closure from December 24 to at least January 10 this week; Wieler was among the signers. He now said that health authorities were increasingly exhausted. In some regions, hospitals have reached their limits. “We are seeing more and more outbreaks in the elderly and nursing homes.” And the number of serious cases and deaths is also increasing. The virus is increasingly circulating in risk groups.
