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In Prime Minister Dreyer’s view, there is little hope for relaxation ahead of today’s federal-state meeting, quite the contrary. While she advises waiting, the federal government apparently wants to tighten contact restrictions before the partial shutdown expires in late November.
Among other things, fewer people from different households should be allowed to gather together. Private celebrations should be avoided entirely until Christmas. In addition, the federal government wants to expand the requirement for masks in schools and classes must be divided if rooms are too small. This stems from the federal government draft resolution for the videoconference between Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and the prime minister, which is also available to the SWR. It states as justification: “The course of the last few days gives hope that the high exponential rate of infection can be stopped, but a decrease in the number of new infections is not yet foreseeable. Therefore, greater efforts are required to contain the infection”.
Prime Minister Malu Dreyer (SPD) had discouraged expectations of far-reaching decisions on the partial closure of the weekend. It is still too early to have any real consequences after two weeks.
Dreyer said in the run-up to the consultations there were early signs that the infection dynamics were weakening. But he also emphasized: “The situation is still serious.”
In her video podcast on Saturday, Chancellor Merkel had already prepared the population for longer restrictions.
On Monday, according to information from participants in the CDU presidium, he said that the numbers were stabilizing, “but too slowly.” Now it is necessary to further reduce contacts in the private sector, Merkel said after this information. The federal government depends on the participation of the population. Decisions on necessary measures in December through Christmas and next year must be made next Monday.
Wissing warns of “actionism”
The Rhineland-Palatinate Finance Minister and Federal FDP Secretary General Volker Wissing warned against “over-action” in relation to current Corona protection measures. It is still too early to take stock of the latest partial lockdown.
Schools will also become the center of debate at the federal and state change conference. The stated goal by the state government is not to have to close schools and daycare centers again like they did in the spring. However, in the preliminary conversations for the federal-state meeting, according to information from SWR, the topic of hybrid teaching emerged, that is, the shift from homeschooling to face-to-face teaching in the middle of the class. It is discussed at least for older middle school students.
But the state government had recently spoken out repeatedly against this scenario. According to Dreyer, a study by the State Research Office concludes that the risk of infection in schools is “very low.”
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Many industries are in dire straits due to partial closure
Partial closure restrictions mainly affect restaurants, leisure and cultural facilities, but also amateur and recreational sports. Two-thirds of the companies in the Rhineland-Palatinate hotel industry see their existence at risk in the corona pandemic, according to a survey by the industry association Dehoga. One in six companies is threatened with insolvency as of this month.
For retail trade in Rhineland-Palatinate, the balance is bad after two weeks of partial lockdown, the trade association also concluded. “People are running very late,” said managing director of the Rhineland-Palatinate trade association, Thomas Scherer.
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Showmen in need
Not only cultural workers, but also many artists from Rhineland-Palatinate are threatened with bankruptcy due to the corona pandemic. Because many Christmas markets in the region have been canceled, the economic situation has worsened again, said the president of the Rhineland-Palatinate Show Association, Achim Müller, SWR. This is the existence of many companies, since Christmas markets would account for up to 60 percent of annual sales. Many colleagues were now waiting for state support, Müller said.
