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In the event of an extension of the partial blockade in December, the federal government is planning financial aid for the affected companies for an estimated sum of 17 billion euros. The German press agency found out about this Tuesday from government circles. First, the newspapers of the Funke media group reported that companies could count on aid worth between 15 and 20 billion euros.
An extension of the partial closure in Germany until shortly before Christmas is almost certain. The minister-presidents of the federal states agreed on Monday night that the measures, which were originally limited to the end of November, should initially continue across the country until December 20. A final decision must be made during consultations between Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and the federal states on Wednesday.
If the partial closure is extended, the restaurants, leisure and cultural facilities that have been closed since early November would remain closed. The extension of the measures is aimed at significantly improving the situation of the crown.
The federal government had pledged to support companies affected by the closures. So far, the federal government foresees between 14 and 15 billion euros for this November aid. This is intended to refund lost sales. The first funds should flow to companies and freelancers, such as artists, before the end of the month in the form of payments on account.
The money will come from a pot for ongoing bridging aid, but it is far from exhausted. It is not yet clear what exactly the new aid will look like for December. The EU Commission would have to approve this again.
Schleswig-Holstein does not participate in the adjustment
Schleswig-Holstein does not want to support the stricter contact restrictions planned by the other countries due to the low number of corona infections compared to other countries. Private meetings are still possible in the north with up to ten people. In a draft resolution of the federal states for deliberations with Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) this Wednesday there is a corresponding footnote. According to the Robert Koch Institute, Schleswig-Holstein had a seven-day incidence of new infections per 100,000 residents on Tuesday with a good 47, the lowest value of all federal states.
In the fight against the persistently high number of corona infections, the prime ministers of the other countries advocate strict contact restrictions as of December 1 the – there should be a special regulation for Christmas and New Years Eve. “Private meetings with friends, relatives and acquaintances are for you and another household, but in each case maximum of five people restrict, “it says in the draft. Children up to 14 are exempt from this.
In the period between December 23 and January 1, that is, also during Christmas and New Year’s Eve, a household can meet with family members or people outside the household. up to a maximum of ten people be. Also in this case, children up to 14 years of age are excluded. For the holidays, the federal and state governments want to talk to churches about Christmas services. “It is important to avoid religious gatherings with the character of large-scale events.”
According to the document it should The current partial lockdown will run until December 20. If the incidence is “well” below 50 new infections per 100,000 population in seven days and if other conditions are met, countries should be given the opportunity to deviate from this. “This applies as long as other relevant indicators, such as the utilization of intensive care capacities and the capacity of the public health service to act, do not conflict,” he says. On the contrary, a greater adjustment should also be possible at the critical crown points. Wholesale and retail trade will remain open. The mask requirement will be expanded and will also apply in the future in front of retail stores and in parking lots.
Prime ministers ask people to make one before Christmas break if possible self-quarantine at home for several days go. “This can be supported by the Christmas school holidays that can be brought forward as of December 19, 2020,” the draft resolution says. With self-quarantine, the risk of corona infections in the area around the celebrations should be kept as low as possible. Bavaria recently announced that it will extend the Christmas holidays.
In addition, the federal states want to request support from employers. They must check whether the permanent establishments are through company vacations or generous home office solutions May be closed from December 23 to January 1.
The Prime Ministers also propose that the federal and state governments agree on the time interval for the domestic quarantine to be generally uniform. generally established ten days. “With the rapid antigen tests now available in greater numbers, it is possible to shorten the quarantine time with test support.” A shorter quarantine time relieves affected citizens and health authorities and mitigates the economic consequences of quarantine orders for the individual and for the economy.
To improve protection of risk groups, such as those in need of care, as part of the corona test strategy 20 rapid tests per week for each patient are provided, it says in the draft decision. Since the beginning of December, the federal government wants to make it possible for risk groups to deliver a total of 15 FFP-2 masks for a small contribution, arithmetically one per winter week.
Prime ministers want to be on New Years Eve Ban fireworks on crowded streets and public placesto avoid larger groups. “The responsible local authorities determine the places and streets affected,” says the draft decision. Basically, it is “recommended” to abstain from the New Year’s Eve fireworks at the turn of the year; therefore, the sale is not prohibited.
In regions with significantly more than 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days, the federal states in the future Beginning in the seventh grade, a mask requirement also applies in class.. Therefore, at “special infection hotspots” there should be school-specific “additional measures for lesson design” in addition to the final classes, eg hybrid lessons. Additionally, antigen testing will be used more in schools to uncover chains of infection. The newspaper goes on to say: Colleges and universities should basically switch to digital teaching – With the exception of laboratory activities, practicals, phases of practical and artistic training and exams.
Berlin Mayor Michael Müller (SPD) is confident that the states will reach an agreement with Chancellor Merkel. The joint proposals are a good basis for discussions with the Chancellor. “I also think that on this basis, there may still be two or three changes, but we really have a very closed situation that we want to implement together,” Müller said Tuesday morning at the ARD “Morgenmagazin”.
Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU), on the other hand, called for previous state proposals to be toughened up even before the federal and state governments start. Söder said on the sidelines of a session of the state parliament in Munich that there are still some areas that need to be improved and supplemented. It advocates closing the ski areas in Europe. “If we want to keep the borders open, we also need a clear agreement on skiing. Otherwise, it will be a difficult development,” he said.
New corona infections slightly below the level of the previous week
As expected, health authorities reported comparatively few new corona infections to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) on Tuesday morning. According to the RKI on its website, there were 13,554 new cases in 24 hours. Last Tuesday, the figure was 14,419. By Friday, 23,648 reported cases had peaked. At the beginning of the week, the numbers are regularly comparatively low because, according to the RKI, fewer samples are taken on the weekends and therefore fewer tests are done overall.
In October and early November, the number of new corona infections reported in Germany increased rapidly. The value has now stabilized at a high level for about two weeks. The decline that was expected after the entry into force of the partial lockdown has not yet been clearly discerned.
The RKI has counted a total of 942,687 infections detected with Sars-CoV-2 in Germany since the beginning of the pandemic. The number of deaths related to the virus rose by 249 to a total of 14,361 on Tuesday, and the RKI estimates that around 636,700 people have recovered.
Studying in the classroom: air filters at a disadvantage
According to a study by Hessian scientists, shock ventilation in schools is many times more effective than the use of air filter devices. Two professors from the Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen (THM) had determined the effect on the aerosols previously released in an unused classroom of a Wiesbaden school, which were distributed in the room by a fan.
“The main result showed that opening all windows for three minutes at outside temperatures of 7 to 11 degrees Celsius reduced the concentration of introduced aerosols by up to 99.8 percent,” the THM said in Gießen’s statement on the analysis. With four mobile air filter devices in the room, a 90 percent reduction in concentration was measured after approximately 30 minutes. Scientists also refer to noise when operating the devices and the high costs of purchasing them.
The Federal Environment Agency has warned several times against over-reliance on mobile air purifiers. Their use in classrooms is not a substitute for ventilation because they do not provide the necessary supply of outside air, he said. There are cases where air purifiers could “noticeably supplement” ventilation, that is, when windows cannot be opened far enough. However, air purifiers cannot remove all impurities from the air in the room.
