Corona-News: Ramelow: Thuringia does not approve of the new blockade

Currently, the situation in Corona is manageable for the Thuringian health system. Health Minister Heike Werner (Linke) said after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday that health authorities would be able to follow up on contacts in most cases. Hospitals are also armed. At the beginning of the week, six patients suffering from Covid-19 in Thuringia were treated in an intensive care unit. 587 intensive care beds would have been occupied elsewhere at the same time and 309 beds would have been free. If necessary, another 418 intensive care beds could be put into operation in the Free State within seven days. Compared to other federal states, Werner also sees no imminent risk of staff shortages. In case the doctors or nurses get sick, this can be compensated initially.

Thuringian Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left) has ruled out the approval of a possible lockdown ahead of new federal and state consultations on how to proceed in the crown pandemic. He briefed the Thuringian cabinet and the chairmen of the left-wing coalition factions, SPD and Greens on Tuesday, Ramelow said. This attitude would also be supported by its two deputies. Ramelow also harshly criticized the federal government: “It is high time that we have a procedure that complies with the basic rules of parliamentarism,” he told the publishing network in Germany. That is not currently the case. “I want the state parliament to be more involved in decisions,” says Ramelow.

Altenburger Land has exceeded a seven-day value of 100 new corona infections per 100,000 residents. The district office announced Tuesday. Until now, only the Saale-Holzland district in Thuringia exceeded this value for a short period of time.

Currently, 30 soldiers are supporting health authorities in Thuringia, as Lieutenant Colonel Michael Weckbach of the Thuringian State Command said on Tuesday. They help in Eichsfeld, Weimarer Land, Saale-Holzland-Kreis, as well as in Gera and Jena.

In view of the sharp increase in the number of verified corona cases, the city of Erfurt has also asked the Bundeswehr for support. Help is requested for a mobile test team, Winnie Melzer said Monday in Erfurt. Contact tracking is still successful.

After the confirmed corona infection of a resident of a nursing home in Bad Lobenstein, the Saale-Orla district health department is not ruling out a major outbreak. The virus may have spread at the “Reussischer Hof” residence, the district office said. Therefore, the other 24 residents and 14 employees must be tested on Wednesday.