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Today, Chancellor Merkel and the country’s leaders will meet again for consultations to control the corona pandemic. Apparently this time they agree on at least one thing: a “breakwater” is needed.
By Sabine Henkel, ARD capital studio
Angela Merkel already suspected it in mid-October. It was after the conference with the prime ministers that his neck was broken: “It may be that in ten or twelve days we will have to say that we did not stop this increase in the way we wanted.”
Today it is clear: the resolutions passed in mid-October did not stop much or anything. The virus continues to spread rapidly. And that’s why they are actually getting back together today. This time they want to be tougher, adopt stricter rules. There is talk of a true temporary breakwater.
“Yes, we are talking about contact restrictions, it is always about contacts.”
Reduction of contacts as the main objective to contain the virus
Schleswig-Holstein has already reacted, contacts strictly limited for three weeks. A strategy that Markus Söder also follows in principle at his home in Bavaria.
“Reduce contacts, reduce contacts, reduce contacts.”
As if Armin Laschet had listened to the Söder to Düsseldorf! It is more likely that he himself came up with the idea of contractual restrictions in order to re-control the infection process in the land of kitchen builders, as he once called it.
Large parts of North Rhine-Westphalia are drenched in deep burgundy red on the Corona map, even sparsely populated areas are now crisis regions. Laschet wants to break the wave of infections by banning contact and proposing it to the other federal states.
“We need the reintroduction of a stricter ban on contact. We know that the vast majority of new infections occur in private lives between friends, family and acquaintances. That is why our actions must start right here. We must drastically reduce our social contacts “.
Probable restrictions on leisure activities
Others are likely to follow this strategy. Other prime ministers want to regulate even more and visits to bars and restaurants more strictly. Even private celebrations, as Berlin Mayor Michael Müller explains.
“At some point you leave this party again and take public transport, go to work, meet other relatives, go to play sports and carry infections.”
And that’s the problem: keep going. Health authorities can no longer keep up, the virus is transmitted through the republic, sometimes without control.
Angela Merkel had suspected it too. By the end of September, he had predicted five-digit infection figures for the end of the year. It turned out worse and earlier than expected. That is why the prime ministers are giving notice ahead of schedule. And if you read the signs correctly, this time they are really ready for hard cuts. Two to three weeks of contact restrictions: for open schools, nurseries and shops. In any case, Markus Söder points to a real breakwater.
“We have to make sure that we don’t always decide on something that is out of date two weeks later.”
