[ad_1]
Unlike most other federal states, Berlin is apparently not planning any accommodation bans for travelers from national corona risk areas. This was announced by a Senate spokeswoman at the request of the German Press Agency. “Each federal state has to decide for itself how it can contain the pandemic. The Berlin Senate has adopted far-reaching measures here in recent weeks, often more far-reaching than other federal states,” the Senate spokeswoman said. “Four federal states, including Berlin, currently do not want to issue accommodation bans.” This includes Thuringia, as announced by the Health Ministry in Erfurt. In addition, Bremen, Lower Saxony and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania have issued several protocol statements on the decision of the heads of state chancellery. The representative of Lower Saxony reserved the right to check whether the decision can be supported.
The federal and state resolution states that people from such risk areas can only stay overnight at accommodation providers if they can present a negative corona test. The ban applies across the country, participants initially said after an exchange conference of the heads of state chancelleries of the federal states with Chancellor Helge Braun (CDU). In view of the partially different regulations, this should be a uniform framework. Of the Süddeutsche Zeitung corresponding resolution paper is available. Consequently, the accommodation ban should not apply if travelers can submit a negative corona test that was taken no more than 48 hours prior to arrival.
SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach said German internal testing obligations and accommodation bans are not very helpful. “Soon we will have so many affected regions that the rule will be difficult to implement, much less controllable.” Furthermore, offers in Germany should be maintained, precisely to prevent Germans from traveling to high-risk regions abroad. The head of the chancellery, Braun, had called for a joint approach from the federal and state governments. When you are in doubt that everything will be done in some areas, you understand that countries with low infection rates are trying to protect themselves from the spread, Braun said. “That is understandable, but it can only be an impromptu measure, which in turn causes a lot of problems.”
NRW with the highest number of new infections of all German territorial states
The number of new corona infections in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) continues to increase significantly. According to figures from the State Center for Health, there were 25.4 new infections per 100,000 residents nationwide in the past seven days. There are as many new cases of Covid-19 as the last time in April. According to figures from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), NRW has the highest number of new infections of all the German territorial states. In 10 of the 53 districts and urban districts, the alert level of 35 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants was exceeded in seven days. There are already restrictions for private celebrations. However, the Dortmund police had to break up a wedding with 380 guests, as Online RP reported.
According to official RKI figures, the city of Hamm continues to be particularly affected. Here, 94.4 new infections were recently reported per 100,000 inhabitants in a week. Remscheid is also significantly above the critical value with 61.2 new infections. Solingen and Hagen (both 47.7) were just below this limit. They were followed by Gelsenkirchen (43.0), Wuppertal (42.6), Duisburg (42.1), Essen (39.6), Cologne (39.6) and Leverkusen (38.5).
Bremen exceeds critical crown limit
For the first time, the city of Bremen exceeded the limit of 50 new corona infections per 100,000 inhabitants in seven days. The health authorities announced. The value is 57.6. This means that stricter rules automatically apply in the Hanseatic city, even for private parties and large events. It is not clear whether Saturday’s SPD state party conference can take place under these conditions. A postponement until 2021 is being considered.
On Tuesday, authorities reported an increase of 70 confirmed corona cases in the city of Bremen. That was the strongest increase so far. On Wednesday this number was even 99. On Tuesday the Senate decided several measures in case the limit of 50 is exceeded.
Among other things, all events where alcohol is served are limited to a maximum of 25 participants. For events, some theater or readings, without serving alcohol, the limit is 100 participants. So far, there are upper limits of 250 indoors and 400 outdoors. The mask requirement should also be more stringent. There is a limit of 25 participants for private parties. For private celebrations in apartments there is an “urgent recommendation” to limit the number of guests to ten.
Also for the “Freipark”, the significantly reduced replacement event for the Bremer Volksfest Freimarkt, the limit is exceeded for the moment. It must be interrupted immediately. The number of visitors had already dropped from 6,000 to 3,000. “These measures are applied until the incidence value remains stable below 50,” he said in a press release. The regulation only applies to the municipality of Bremen and not to Bremerhaven, which is part of the state of Bremen.
Controversial big concert in Düsseldorf canceled
Against the background of the increasing number of infections, a large concert originally scheduled for September 4 in Düsseldorf with up to 13,000 spectators has been canceled. The event will no longer take place in 2020, a spokeswoman for organizer Marek Lieberberg said on Wednesday. “The prerequisites for this just don’t exist,” he said.
Another reason for the cancellation was that the concept included leaving the roof of the Düsseldorf football stadium open during the concert. It’s too cold for that now. It is also questionable whether the artists could meet again in the planned constellation. Among other things, rock musician Bryan Adams and singer Sarah Conor were scheduled to perform. “That is why we said: we are no longer planning for this year,” the spokeswoman said. Previously, the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung reported about it.
The planning of the concert had already caused unrest between the city of Düsseldorf and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia beforehand. While the city approved the concert, the state government expressed concern. NRW Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann considered it “simply irresponsible” to encourage people from all over Germany to travel to Düsseldorf in view of the corona infection situation.
First, it was agreed that the concert at the football stadium would depend on the current infection rate. At the end of August, the organizer pulled the string, and announced a postponement to “late autumn” without giving a specific date. Now that too is obsolete. The show was intended to be a great release for the hungry concert industry. The hygiene concept stipulated that visitors always wear a mask. The order of magnitude would have been considerable in the time of the Crown. Tickets that have already been purchased can be refunded based on the information provided by the organizer.
AfD wants to sue in Bundestag against mask requirements
The AfD wants to go to court against the mask requirement ordered by the President of the Bundestag, Wolfgang Schäuble. The parliamentary group made the corresponding decision on Tuesday night. “We want to clarify whether the President of the Bundestag can force us MPs and our employees in Parliament to wear masks,” MP Stephan Brandner said in Berlin on Wednesday. The benefits of oral and nasal protection are highly controversial. There is no pandemic situation. Keeping your distance is completely sufficient. Anyone who wants to wear a mask can also do so, but a general obligation is disproportionate. The AfD wants to call the Federal Constitutional Court, since the administrative judiciary is responsible for the employees of the parliamentary group. The parliamentary group wanted to examine whether the immediate applicability of the order was legal.
Since Tuesday, there has been a general mask requirement in Parliament buildings. Anyone who does not comply should expect a fine. Protection is guaranteed at the lectern or when parliamentarians are seated in plenary or in committee rooms and at a distance of at least 1.50 meters. Previously, the only recommendation was to wear a mask. But in some parts of Berlin, the threshold of 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants was exceeded in seven days. Tighter crown measures apply, so since Saturday there has also been a mask requirement in office buildings. The general decree issued by Schäuble is valid until January 17
