Corona NRW: Bishop describes the virus as a plague of humanity

Düsseldorf –

Article updated May 1, 2020 at 1:21 pm – Here you can always see at a glance all the current developments in Corona at NRW.

Important note about case numbers: The development of the number of confirmed infections is currently a dynamic event. The numbers listed here are based on current government reports reaching the ministry. On the one hand, this can lead to cases that have already been confirmed locally being known before they are listed here. On the other hand, it may also happen that the Ministry of Health records the infection numbers before they reach the Robert Koch Institute.

May 1 Update: Bishop with Drastic Words at NRW Church Service, NRW Universities Satisfied with Start of Semester Online

• According to the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Welfare in North Rhine-Westphalia in total in the last 24 hours 371 new infections with the corona virus became known. A total of 33,043 people in the state have been officially infected with the virus, 1,261 of them have died from the virus. But: 24,894 are officially recovered.
• The president of the German Episcopal Conference, Georg Bätzing, described the crown virus as a “plague of humanity”. “Like a crown of thorns, it has imposed itself on our lives and causes so much suffering, death, fear and mischief. All this will overwhelm us for years and decades, ”the Bishop of Limburg said in a sermon on Friday at the opening of the Kevelaer pilgrimage. It was one of the first community services in North Rhine-Westphalia that was made possible again after the lifting of strict restrictions on May 1.
• Than The Upper Administrative Court of North Rhine-Westphalia has declared that the state mask requirement for local purchases and transport is legal. The restrictions associated with wearing a mouth and nose cap are acceptable in view of the protective purpose, the judges decided Thursday, according to the message. With the regulation on the use of a mouth and nose cover that went into effect on Monday (April 27), the state government followed a current recommendation from the Robert Koch Institute. This assumes that self-made masks made of cloth reduce the excretion of respiratory viruses and therefore decrease the spread of the coronavirus.
• Despite initial difficulties, they have North Rhine-Westphalia universities are pleased with the start of the crown-related online semester. Students and teachers handled the switch to digital formats flexibly and creatively, the universities announced. At first, servers could not bear the stress, and access to emails and teaching materials was sometimes restricted. The semester online now runs technically smoothly, he said.

Update April 30: Armin Laschet reports new measures, playgrounds must reopen, the number of unemployed in NRW increases by more than 10 percent

• Prime Minister Armin Laschet(CDU) At a press conference Thursday night, the results of the deliberations and decisions of the federal states’ prime ministers were announced with Chancellor Angela Merkel (see video above). Laschet spoke of a “good and constructive environment” during the conference with the countries. It was “one more step towards responsible normality,” he said.
• According to Laschet at NRW 40 percent of intensive care beds free for crown boxes. However, current developments allowed for greater capacity for predictable operations. “Everyone who is sick should see a doctor,” said the prime minister.
• You can too Children’s parks reopen in North Rhine-Westphalia “subject to conditions”. When exactly they should open remains unclear. The topic is discussed differently in Germany. In the Ruhr area, for example, where people often lived in small apartments, this was more important.
• According to Laschet it is Number of reproductions for NRW according to calculations by the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research in Braunschweig 0.448 – that is the second lowest value in Germany, only Saxony has a lower one. The NRW Ministry of Health, however, had given the number Thursday as 0.8. This number, also known as R0 or colloquial contagion rate, indicates how many people are statistically infected with a sick person. “The measures are working,” said Laschet. But at the same time he warned: “It doesn’t have to stay that way.” You have to do everything that the distance and hygiene rules are followed.
• When exactly will there be loosening for that Gastronomy Laschet left it open. NRW Minister for Economic Affairs Andreas Pinkwart (FDP) developed a corresponding concept. The issue will be discussed in upcoming talks between the federal state and the state. May 6th on the agenda. On May 6, a decision will also be made on how Sports company continues The opening of primary schools will also be discussed.
• Since May 1 are in NRW Services again possible under strict conditions.
• Important events stay until August 31 prohibited
• According to Laschet, the NRW health authorities can Contact chains for corona infections Follow-up All 54 offices had been expanded, the country also offered additional staff. Constant monitoring of contact is important if the crown pandemic is successfully combated and other areas of life must be opened up.
• Even before the press conference, the NRW School Ministry announced in an email to schools Thursday: All Elementary students In North Rhine-Westphalia, schools are scheduled to return to school daily starting May 11. Fourth graders are due to start on May 7th. Beginning May 11, children of all grades must be taught on a daily “rolling” system. Laschet later relativized the plans of the state school ministry and stop: an email from schools will be “corrected,” Laschet said Thursday in Düsseldorf. On May 6, everything else will be discussed with the federal and state governments.
• In North Rhine-Westphalia, the number of confirmed infections has increased by 258 new cases to a total of 32,672 since the pandemic began. In addition, another 19 deaths were reported Thursday. Therefore, the number of deaths that previously tested positive for the corona virus increased to 1,219 in the most populous federal state, the NRW Health Ministry said.
  According to NRW’s Ministry of Health, the number of reproductions currently available for NRW was 0.8 on Thursday. This means that ten infected people infect an average of eight more with the virus. The number of reproductions calculated by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) is only an estimate.
  772 more people have reported their recovery on Thursday. Infection with the virus has so far survived 24,327 people. It is not mandatory to notify authorities of a recovery. Therefore, this number is only an approximation of the real number.
• Two NRW students have lawsuits against the plans Fourth graders return to elementary schools presented from May 7 at the earliest. In the two urgent requests to the Higher Administrative Court (OVG) in Münster, the two fourth-graders argue that unequal treatment exists if only their grade is being brought to schools, an OVG spokeswoman for the Agency said Thursday. German Press. Both fourth graders do not want to return to school next week due to the Corona crisis. An Arnsberg boy submitted an urgent request, the second a Gladbeck student, both on Wednesday. A decision is not expected this week, the OVG spokeswoman said.
  Due to the crisis of the crown. The number of unemployed in North Rhine-Westphalia increased by almost 11 percent in April to more than 718,000 people. This was announced by the regional directorate of North Rhine-Westphalia to the Federal Employment Agency on Thursday in Düsseldorf. Since the beginning of March, nearly 152,000 companies in the most populous federal state have announced plans to send more than 2.1 million employees to short-term jobs.

April 29 update: sales space limitation confirmed, NRW unveils three-step plan to open restaurants and hotels

• The NRW Superior Administrative Court has the 800 square meter rule confirmed. On Wednesday, the Münster Higher Administrative Court dismissed a department store operator’s request in Minden for a provisional order against the state’s Crown Protection Ordinance (Az. 13 B 512 / 20.NE). The Sales area It is a criterion “that the different treatment of individual retailers with respect to their relevance to the additional infection process may warrant the approach,” the court said. In North Rhine-Westphalia, furniture stores or baby markets can open without limiting the sales area, but department stores, fashion stores or technology stores are not.
• In North Rhine-Westphalia is the number of corona infections within a day in 254 cases so far 32,414 cases of infection Increased The number of people who died increased by 29 people to a total of 1,200 people. More recently, 1204 people have recovered from the virus. Number of recovered at 23,555 Let people get up. There are currently 1,379 hospitalized patients, 452 of whom are in intensive care, most (337) are ventilated.
• The three federal states North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden Württemberg and Lower SaxonyThey have presented a three-step plan to gradually remove restrictions from the corona virus in the tourism, hospitality and hotel sectors. Under this plan, the first restrictions should already begin Begginings of may be relaxed In the first phase, tourist offerings such as zoos, amusement parks and climbing gardens will be opened. The next step will be followed by restaurants and holiday apartments and hotels. However, this initially with limited use. This was announced by the ministers of economy and tourism of the three countries. The first phase is to apply from May 7, the second from May 11. Starting May 25, night tourism will reopen without restrictions.

April 28 update: Police officer dies after corona infection, Laschet’s criticism causes trouble

• A Paderborn 54 Year Old Police Officer died of a crown infection. This was confirmed by the district police department and a spokesman for the Interior Ministry on Tuesday. According to the Ministry, it is the first police death in NRW related to Covid-19. The “Neue Westfälische” had previously reported. As the Ministry spokesman said, the man died last Thursday. Interior Minister Reul sympathizes with his family. “The entire police family is deeply distressed“The spokesman said. The Ministry and the District Police Department did not provide further information due to filial reasons. According to DPA information, the official was not infected on duty.
• Prime Minister Armin Laschet’s (CDU) criticism of dealing with the crown crisis in the municipalities is causing many problems. The blame for blaming municipalities for preparing to open schools for the first time tested the municipalities’ trust relationship with the state government. This was emphasized by the NRW City Council, the Association of Towns and Municipalities (StGB) and the North Rhine-Westphalia District Council on Monday in a joint statement. Publicly expressed criticism also does not help to cope with the crown pandemic.
  Laschet had indicated on the television program “Anne Will” on Sunday night (read more here) that the municipalities of North Rhine-Westphalia were not sufficiently prepared for the opening of the school and had not purchased disinfectants in time. Such criticisms are “without any objective basis,” the associations said.
  Krefeld Mayor Frank Meyer (SPD) tweeted: “It is an affront to all those who fight the crisis and its aftermath on a daily basis.” The head of the Düsseldorf school, Burkhard Hintzsche, rejected the allegations. “As school administrators, we prepare for the opening of school before Easter and take into account all technical advice,” said Hintzsche. But then the NRW school ministry came around the corner with “always new decrees” in a few hours.
  “It would have been nice if the country hadn’t released new rules and guidelines every day,” wrote Hintzsche, for example, that single parents were ordered to issue an employer certificate on Friday night when they bring their children to care. emergency on Monday. Municipal associations also criticized nature in the short term and some ambiguities to the end. However, despite the short preparation time, thanks to the great commitment of the schools and the municipalities, a smooth start was achieved for the first students.

April 27 update: 31,860 corona infections and around 1,130 deaths in NRW

• The number of people demonstrably infected with the coronavirus increased in North Rhine-Westphalia on Monday by 203 to a total of 31,860 cases since the pandemic began. In addition, another 35 deaths were recorded. According to the State Health Ministry, a total of 1,131 infected people in North Rhine-Westphalia have died since the crown pandemic began.
  According to the latest data on Monday, 154 people reported that they had recovered. The total number of known recovery cases in the most populous federal state is now 21,737. Notifying authorities of a recovery is not mandatory, so this is only an approximation of the actual number.
  Compared to Monday, April 20, 2,925 confirmed infections were added in one week and 3,503 people reported their recovery. During the same period, 274 infected people died.

Update April 26: NRW Prime Minister Laschet lowers expectations for next conversation with Merkel, new figures on crown virus in NRW

• NRW Prime Minister Armin Laschet (CDU) dampens expectations for the next meeting by Chancellor Angela Merkel with the Prime Minister, which is scheduled for Thursday. “I think we will not have any new fundamental decisions on Thursday,” the CDU politician said in the ARD “Berlin Report” on Sunday. It was agreed to wait two weeks after the first relief measures. “You also need a little patience,” says Laschet. Next Thursday you will be especially Talk about children and teens, including amateur sports, playgrounds, and the use of church services. Laschet announces that Discuss crown constraint issues holistically: “That sometimes you think what harm we really do through the blockade. What does that mean for the children and adolescents who are in apartments that no longer go to the kindergarten? One has to discuss more exhaustively and not look at the infection numbers all the days.
• The State Health Center (LZG) has Sunday in total 31,657 coronavirus infections In North Rhine-Westphalia, 197 more confirmed cases were counted than the previous day. The number of deaths increased by 12 in one day so far 1096 since the beginning of the pandemic, as can be seen from the LZG calculations. The group of recovered people is also growing: with 1,169 new people now a total of 21,583 Reported cases who have recovered from a coronavirus infection. Of the total 7,924 intensive care beds in NRW, 2,876 were still available on Sunday, according to the ministry.

Update April 25: New Crown Protection Ordinance in NRW, leader of parliamentary group SPD shaves his beard

• The State Health Center (LZG) has a total of Saturday 31,460 coronavirus infections counted in North Rhine-Westphalia, 350 confirmed cases more than the previous day. Death toll increased by 32 in one day so far 1084 since the beginning of the pandemic, as can be seen from the LZG calculations. The group of recovered people is also growing: with 155 new ones now a total of 20,412 Reported cases who have recovered from a coronavirus infection. Of the 7,934 intensive care beds in NRW, 2,837 were still available Saturday, according to the ministry.
• In the newly published Crown Protection Ordinance for NRW For the first time, the minimum distance of 1.5 meters outdoors has also been established as a code of conduct. As a Health Ministry spokeswoman said Saturday, this is “just a basic rule,” for which there are more exceptions. If, for certain reasons, you cannot keep the minimum distance, the obligation of the protective mask applies, as of Monday, among others, to Buses, trains and shops. The “distance requirement” was added with the mask requirement in a new paragraph of the previous protection regulation. This does not include immediate family or spouses. In the shops should next to the The clients basically also all the employees Wear masks, for example, if you are not sitting behind Plexiglas. According to the regulation, the mask requirement also applies to Spend or collect food, for artisans – if they cannot keep their distance from the customer, in the markets and in the doctor. The regulation does not establish fixed fines. The country leaves the amount to the regulatory offices of the municipalities.
• Hard cut: Thomas Kutschaty, leader of the SPD parliamentary group in the Düsseldorf state parliament, all the beard has been shaved to be able to use a protective mask. The long-time beard bearer documented in one Video on Twitter Saturday when you reach the trimmer in your office and remove hair growth. “Great, it fits,” Kutschaty commented in the video later, trying on a red SPD mask: “Now I can safely go out again.” User reactions: surprised. “Crass, barely recognizable,” he says there. Incidentally, Kutschaty does not have to wear the mask in the state parliament. Since the plenary has met for several weeks, taking into account the minimum distance between the deputies, there will be no mask requirements from Monday, according to the administration of the state parliament. On the other hand, you must use protection on public transport and buy at NRW.

April 24 update: current NRW crown figures, statement by NRW Health Minister Laumann

• The State Health Center (LZG) has Friday 31,110 coronavirus infections in North Rhine-Westphalia counted and therefore 512 confirmed cases more than the previous day. The number of deaths increased from 52 in one day to 1,052 since the pandemic began, according to LZG estimates. The group of Recovered it is getting bigger: with 621 new ones they are now a total of 20,257 cases He reported that they recovered after a coronavirus infection, as NRW Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann said in Düsseldorf on Friday. Of the total of 7,942 intensive care beds in NRW, 2,900 were still available on Friday, according to the ministry.
• Starting Monday, applies to buses and trains at NRW Mask requirement, also when you buy. From the age of six, children would have to wear a mask, school age was a reasonable size. Schools regulate whether to wear a mask in class. Regardless of that leads to Keep your distance There is no way to avoid public life, explains NRW Minister of Health Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU). According to him, people who drive a vehicle are exempt from the obligation. And people who can’t do it in terms of health. But: “Public transport operators and merchants have been obliged since Monday to inform people that they are required to wear a mask,” says Laumann.
• Will NRW restaurants reopen for the foreseeable future? “I don’t see that at the moment,” says Laumann. Protection against infection must first be ensured.

Update April 23: School begins today regardless of protests

• Regardless of the protests, school starts again today: nearly 6 weeks after schools closed in NRW due to the crown crisis, many opened their doors for thousands of test subjects on Thursday for the first time. Than The Ministry of Education expects a maximum of 250,000 of a total of 2.5 million students at NRW. The almost 90,000 It is optional for high school graduates.going back to school because they wouldn’t have had regular classes after Easter break anyway. For students who are ahead of others. Final exams, school attendance applies.

April 22 update: further increase in new infections, North Rhine-Westphalia introduces a mask requirement

• NRW Health Ministry has one on Wednesday strongest increase in new infections The number increased by 852 new cases to a total of 30,201 in North Rhine-Westphalia since the pandemic began. The previous day, growth had been significantly less with 414 new cases. The number of deaths also increased slightly Compared to the average for the last few days, 68 new deaths were added. A total of 963 people died in North Rhine-Westphalia who had previously tested positive for the coronavirus. 460 people reported health again, overall increased the number of recovered at 19,049. According to the NRW Health Ministry, 578 patients were undergoing intensive medical treatment on Wednesday, 448 of whom were ventilated.
• NRW Finance Minister Andreas Pinkwart (FDP) has the The innkeepers have the possibility to reopen their businesses. NRW is working with Baden-Württemberg and other federal states on a common concept to break through after May 4, Pinkwart said in Düsseldorf on Wednesday. The concept should be available between the federal and state governments for the next round of consultations. The existence of numerous companies and jobs in the catering sector is at risk. “That is why we now need a well-considered, differentiated, and coordinated approach among the federal states,” Pinkwart said. You can watch the Minister’s full press conference again in the video above.
• Too North Rhine-Westphalia has a national mask requirement to contain the coronavirus. Starting next Monday, wear a mask when shopping, as well as on buses and trains Mandatory, the state government announced Wednesday. By covering the mouth and nose with cloth, the risk of infecting others with the novel coronavirus should be minimized. In addition to surgical masks they are also Stitched fabric masks or scarves and scarves that are placed over the face are allowed as a protective barrier.. Local North Rhine-Westphalia Minister Ina Scharrenbach (CDU) assumes that there is sufficient mouth and nose coverage for the implementation of the mask requirement in North Rhine-Westphalia. These are the so-called everyday or community masks, Scharrenbach said in Düsseldorf on Wednesday. Many citizens have either purchased these masks in the past few days or made them themselves.
• In North Rhine-Westphalia starting next Monday Also open bigger stores againif they limit their sales area to a maximum of 800 square meters. The state government announced Wednesday. NRW is adapting its crown protection regulations to other federal states at this point. Stores can already open there, If the sales area is limited to 800 square meters. There is no limit in square meters in North Rhine-Westphalia for furniture stores that have been open since Monday.

April 20 update: NRW first city introduces a mask requirement, NRW does not guarantee any additional non-contributory month, Armin Laschet defends opening of furniture stores

• To contain the crown pandemic The city of Münster has become the first city in North Rhine-Westphalia to require a mask.. A spokeswoman for the city of Münster said Monday that it should apply to shops, markets, buses and public areas of the city’s administrative buildings starting Monday (April 27). The crisis team decided to take this move because more people have been walking in the city center since the smaller stores reopened. “But it can also be a scarf or a scarf over the mouth,” the spokeswoman said.
• Currently there are no guarantees for other non-contributory months: NRW Initially, you don’t want to guarantee any other non-contributory months due to crown-related child care absences. “I think it is an incorrect signal to say that day care centers and day care centers should only function in emergencies in June and July. We strive to allow early childhood education before the summer holidays for children in North Rhine-Westphalia under appropriate hygienic conditions, “he said NRW Family Minister Joachim Stamp (FDP). In North Rhine-Westphalia, the state government and local umbrella organizations initially agreed to suspend parental contributions at day-care centers, day-care centers and a full day open for April. Both sides are currently in exchange for clarifying the way forward for the month of May, the ministry said.
• NRW Principal Opening Warning: The gradual opening of schools in North Rhine-Westphalia starting this week has had great skepticism among principals. An open letter was issued on Monday. School Management Association (SLV) NRW published. In many schools, there are no space or personnel requirements to open a school.
• Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia Armin Laschet defended further relaxation in North Rhine-Westphalia after strong criticism from Chancellor Angela Merkel (both CDUs). North Rhine-Westphalia is the country of kitchen builders, Laschet said Monday, according to participants at a CDU Presidium change conference on Monday. Other participants also said that Laschet was fundamentally supportive of Merkel. The state government of North Rhine-Westphalia had announced, among other things, that the first step was to go further Open furniture stores and specialty baby stores. leave. Merkel had previously criticized discussions about further easing restrictions on fighting the exceptionally acute coronavirus at the Presidium CDU. According to information from the participants’ German press agency, Merkel made it clear how dissatisfied she was that the cautious relief message in some countries had led to “opening discussion orgies.” This greatly increases the risk of relapse.

April 19 update: decrease in current number of cases, IKEA branches in NRW remain closed for now

• From Saturday to Sunday is the number of people with the corona virus. Infected in North Rhine-Westphalia it only increased relatively slightly. The health ministry counted 29,580 infected on Sunday afternoon, according to a message. The previous day they were 29,155. The number of previously positive Sars-CoV-2 deaths increased to 882, 20 more than on Saturday. Fortunately, the number of people who recovered increased significantly more: 18,036 people who had recovered already knew each other on Sunday, about 500 more than the day before.
  In the intensive care units, 2988 beds were free on Sunday, 1959 of them with ventilators. At the time of registration, 630 intensive care beds were occupied by 19 Covid patients, of whom 472 were artificially ventilated, slightly less than on Saturday.
  At the same time, the Ministry has also released figures from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) since this week. The RKI counted 28,788 infections in NRW on Sunday. The reason given for the difference is that the reporting paths are “of different lengths”. In order to correctly compare numbers between federal states, only RKI numbers must be published starting Monday.
• Swedish Ikea Furniture Store should officially reopen its NRW branches to customers starting Monday, April 20, but has decided not to do so for now. “We are delighted to have the opportunity to reopen eleven IKEA stores in North Rhine-Westphalia,” the team wrote on the website. “We take care of speed in all preparations. For this reason, we decided to take the time to first develop a comprehensive concept of safety and hygiene. Therefore, the opening cannot take place on Monday, April 20. ” The furniture giant wants to inform its customers immediately about the exact opening date. The report covers the following branches: Bielefeld, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Kaarst, Kamen, Cologne, Butzweiler Hof, Cologne Godorf, Siegen and Wuppertal.

Update April 18: current case numbers, School Ministry informs schools about hygiene requirements

• Antes de la apertura gradual de las escuelas en la próxima semana, eso tiene Ministerio de Educacion the Las escuelas de Renania del Norte-Westfalia informaron sobre los requisitos de higiene necesarios. La regla central es: mantén la distancia. Por ejemplo, los grupos de aprendizaje deben establecerse de tal manera que la distancia mínima de 1,5 metros se pueda mantener entre los alumnos y los profesores. También se deben crear listas de nombres para que los contactos puedan rastrearse en caso de una infección. “El cumplimiento de la protección contra infecciones fue, es y seguirá siendo el prerrequisito básico para dar los primeros y cautelosos pasos de la situación excepcional causada por el virus corona”, dijo el Secretario de Estado de Educación y Escuela, Mathias Richter, de la Agencia de Prensa Alemana. El sábado se envió un correo electrónico informativo con las especificaciones a las escuelas, dijo el ministerio.
  También establece que los estudiantes o maestros con síntomas deben ser excluidos de las clases y los exámenes. También se debe garantizar que no se compartan los biberones o vasos. Además, las pautas proporcionan suficientes lavabos y dispensadores de jabón para que las manos puedan lavarse regularmente. Darüber hinaus wird die generelle Corona-Etikette – also Niesen und Husten in den Ellbogen und aufs Händeschütteln verzichten – empfohlen. Auf eine generelle Maskenpflicht in Schulen verzichtet das Land. Als Grundlage hatte das Schulministerium ein Gutachtern von Wissenschaftlern unter anderem der Uni Bonn beauftragt. Das Schulpersonal hat nun bis Mittwoch Zeit, die Maßnahmen umzusetzen. Ab Donnerstag sollen die ersten Schüler, bei denen Abschlussprüfungen anstehen, auf freiwilliger Basis wieder in die Schule kommen dürfen.
• Einmal pro Tag veröffentlicht das NRW-Gesundheitsministerium aktuelle Zahlen – die Übersicht für Samstag: Bislang gibt es 29.155 infizierte Menschen. 17.502 gelten als genesen. Achtung: Die Gesamtzahl der Genesenen basiert lediglich auf freiwilligen Rückmeldungen. Eine gesetzliche Verpflichtung zur Meldung besteht jedoch nicht. The Todesfälle sind auf insgesamt 862 angestiegen.

Update vom 17. April: Laschet mit düsterer Prognose, ab Montag fahren wieder mehr Züge, Karstadt klagt und will Ladenöffnung erzwingen

• Nordrhein-Westfalens Ministerpräsident Armin Laschet (CDU) geht davon aus, dass Deutschland in der Corona-Krise noch eine lange Phase des Verzichts bevorsteht. „Es wird weiterhin Einschränkungen geben müssen – sicher bis zum Ende des Jahres, wahrscheinlich darüber hinaus“, sagte er in einem Gespräch mit dem Nachrichtenmagazin „Der Spiegel“. „Wir werden unser altes Leben noch lange nicht leben können. Abstand und Schutz werden Regel und Maßstab unseres Alltags bleiben.“
• Von Montag an fahren wieder mehr Züge im Nahverkehr. Auf den S-Bahn-, Regionalbahn- und Regionalexpress-Linien würden die Angebote von derzeit 50 Prozent auf dann 80 Prozent erhöht, teilte das Verkehrsministerium am Freitag in Düsseldorf mit. Der Fahrplan gelte vorerst bis zum 3. Mai. Aktuelle Informationen gebe es unter anderem bei www.mobil.nrw und den Webseiten der Verkehrsunternehmen. Auf die Ausweitung hatten sich Ministerium, Verkehrsunternehmen und Verbünde geeinigt. Vor dem Hintergrund der Corona-Krise war der Nahverkehr in den vergangenen Wochen stark reduziert worden. Das Ministerium appellierte, um das Coronavirus weiter zu bekämpfen, sollten die Hygieneregeln weiter eingehalten werden. Fahrgäste sollten einen Mund-Nasen-Schutz tragen. Nicht zwingend notwendige Fahrten sollten zudem unterbleiben.
• Die schrittweisen Ladenöffnungen – beispielsweise darf IKEA in NRW wieder öffnen (hier lesen Sie mehr) – sind für Bürger und sogar für manche Händler selbst schwer zu durchschauen – und landen nun vor Gericht: Die Kaufhauskette Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof will sich nicht damit abfinden, dass ihre Türen weiter geschlossen bleiben sollen. Das Unternehmen habe in einem Eilverfahren Klage gegen die Coronaschutzverordnung des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen eingereicht, teilte das Oberverwaltungsgericht am Freitag in Münster mit. Karstadt selbst wollte sich dazu zunächst nicht äußern. Das Gericht muss nun etwas Klarheit in den Dschungel der Regeln bringen – will dies aber erst in der kommenden Woche tun. Welche Geschäfte in Deutschland öffnen dürfen und welche nicht, entwickelt sich zunehmend zum Flickenteppich: Nach den neuen Vorgaben von Bund und Ländern dürfen Geschäfte mit einer Fläche von bis zu 800 Quadratmetern ab Montag wieder öffnen, größere nicht – mit Ausnahme von Buchläden, Fahrradgeschäften und Autohäusern. Davon erhofft man sich ein bisschen mehr Normalität, ohne dass die Innenstädte direkt überquellen.
• 28.607 Infektionsfälle mit dem Coronavirus gibt es in NRW (Stand Freitag). Am Donnerstag waren es noch 28.000. Laut Gesundheitsministerium gelten mehr als 17.000 Personen als genesen. 808 Menschen aus NRW sind an Covid-19 gestorben. Am Vortag waren es noch 760.
• Wegen Betrugsversuchen mit Corona-Soforthilfen sind bei der Polizei in Nordrhein-Westfalen mittlerweile 576 Anzeigen eingegangen. Allerdings gebe es bislang keine bekannten Fälle, bei denen tatsächlich auch Geld abgeflossen sei, sagte Wirtschaftsminister Andreas Pinkwart (FDP) am Freitag in Düsseldorf. Allerdings könne man dies auch nicht ausschließen, sagte der für Cybercrime zuständige Kölner Staatsanwalt Christoph Hebbecker der Deutschen Presse-Agentur. Mittlerweile seien bekannten Fake-Seiten mit Bezug auf NRW abgeschaltet worden, sagte Hebbecker. Man könne allerdings nie sicher sein, ob diese zeitweise wieder online gingen. Die Ermittlungen richten sich weiterhin gegen Unbekannt. Ob es Zusammenhänge mit Betrugsfällen in anderen Bundesländern oder ins Ausland gebe, werde noch geprüft.

Update vom 16. April: 760 Todesfälle gemeldet

• 28.000 Infektionsfälle mit dem Coronavirus gibt es in NRW (Stand Donnerstag). Laut Gesundheitsministerium gelten mehr als 15.800 Personen als genesen. 760 Menschen aus NRW sind an Covid-19 gestorben.

Update vom 15. April: Statement von Ministerpräsident Armin Laschet, Anzahl der Intensivbetten, aktuelle Fallzahlen

• Ministerpräsident Armin Laschet (CDU) will an diesem Donnerstag mit Vertretern verschiedener Religionen besprechen, wie Gottesdienste in NRW wieder stattfinden können. Er werde dazu mit dem katholischen Erzbischof Rainer Maria Woelki, mit Präses Annette Kurschus für die evangelische Kirche sowie mit Abraham Lehrer von der Jüdischen Gemeinde und einem Vertreter des Koordinierungsrats der Muslime zusammenkommen.
• Durch das Verbot von Großveranstaltungen bis mindestens 31. August werden viele Schützenfeste in NRW in diesem Sommer nicht stattfinden können. In NRW sollte zum Beispiel ab dem 17. Juli die große Rheinkirmes der St. Sebastianus-Schützen starten, in Neuss ab dem 28. August das große Schützenfest. Die riesige Cranger Kirmes im Ruhrgebiet war bisher vom 6. bis 16. August geplant.
• Bei der Öffnung der Kitas wird es in Nordrhein-Westfalen keinen Sonderweg give. Die Kitas würden auch in NRW vorerst nicht geöffnet, so Armin Laschet (CDU). The Notfallbetreuung werde auf weitere Berufsgruppen ausgedehnt. Welche das seien, werde nun analysiert. NRW-Familienminister Joachim Stamp (FDP) hatte sich am Dienstag noch für eine schnellere Öffnung der Kitas ausgesprochen.
• Die Schulen in NRW sollen nach den Osterferien kommende Woche schrittweise wieder den Betrieb aufnehmen – zunächst für Schüler, die unmittelbar vor einem Abschluss stehen. In der kommenden Woche können an den NRW-Schulen Prüfungen und Vorbereitungen der Abschlussklassen wieder stattfinden. The Abiturprüfungen in NRW sollen wie geplant am 12. Mai beginnen. Das kündigte Ministerpräsident Armin Laschet (CDU) am Mittwoch in Düsseldorf nach einer Einigung von Bund und Ländern zur Corona-Krise an.
  Schulministerin Yvonne Gebauer betonte: „Die Entscheidung der Ministerpräsidenten zusammen mit der Bundeskanzlerin bieten eine verlässliche Grundlage für unseren Fahrplan, die Schulen nach den Osterferien schrittweise wieder zu öffnen, um so insbesondere die Durchführung von Prüfungen, Prüfungsvorbereitungen und die Vergabe von Abschlüssen zu ermöglichen.“
• In NRW haben erstmals in der Corona-Pandemie mehr Patienten die Intensivstationen verlassen können als neu dorthin verlegt werden mussten.
• Das NRW-Gesundheitsministerium berichtet, wie es um die Belegung der Intensivbetten steht: Insgesamt gab es in nordrhein-westfälischen Krankenhäusern am Mittwoch 7779 Intensivbetten, von diesen wurden 4875 genutzt. Auf Intensivstationen war den Angaben zufolge etwa einer von sieben Patienten mit dem Coronavirus infiziert. Insgesamt handelte es sich um 677 Patienten in intensiv-medizinischer Behandlung. Rund 80 Prozent dieser Fälle wurden beatmet.
• Die aktuellen Fallzahlen sind am späten Vormittag eingetroffen: Insgesamt gibt es laut NRW-Gesundheitsministerium 27.657 bestätigte Fälle. 708 Menschen sind tot. Doch es gibt auch gute Nachrichten: 14.686 Personen gelten als genesen. Die Gesamtzahl der Genesenen basiert übrigens ausschließlich auf freiwilligen Rückmeldungen. Eine gesetzliche Verpflichtung zur Meldung besteht nicht.

Update vom 14. April: NRW-Familienminister Stamp hält Schulstart nach Ostern für „ausgeschlossen”

• The Schulen in NRW sollen nach den Osterferien schrittweise wieder öffnen. Das sei ihr „festes Ziel“, um vor allem die Durchführung von Prüfungen und die Vergabe von Abschlüssen zu ermöglichen, sagte NRW-Schulministerin Yvonne Gebauer (FDP) am Dienstag.
• In Nordrhein-Westfalen sollen Kinder, die kurz vor der Einschulung stehen, bald wieder die Kindertagesstätten besuchen dürfen. In der kommenden Woche werde die Notfallbetreuung für diese Kinder noch fortgesetzt. „Danach schlage ich vor, den letzten Jahrgang vor der Einschulung wieder zuzulassen“, sagte NRW-Familienminister Joachim Stamp (FDP) der Deutschen Presse-Agentur am Dienstag.
• Am Oster-Wochenende hat die NRW-Polizei nach Angaben der Landesregierung deutlich mehr Verstöße gegen die im Zuge der Corona-Pandemie verhängten Kontaktsperren festgestellt. Im Vergleich zu den vorangegangenen Wochenenden habe es größere Probleme mit Jugendlichen und alkoholisierten Gruppen von Erwachsenen gegeben, sagte NRW-Innenminister Herbert Reul (CDU) am Dienstag.
  Fast 5.100 Menschen seien von Karfreitag bis Ostermontag bei Verstößen erwischt worden. Davon seien rund 3.600 Erwachsene, 1.200 Jugendliche und 300 Kinder gewesen. Es seien 1.800 Ordnungswidrigkeiten verfolgt und 68 Strafanzeigen erstattet worden. Der befürchtete Anstieg der häuslichen Gewalt sei weiterhin ausgeblieben. Nach wie vor liege der Rückgang der registrierten Gewalttaten bei 30 Prozent.
• Bis zum Dienstagvormittag gab es nach Angaben des Landesgesundheitsministeriums über 27.200 bestätigte Coronavirus-Infektionen in NRW und 661 Todesfälle sowie rund 14.000 Genesene. 82 Prozent der bislang in NRW Gestorbenen seien über 70 Jahre alt gewesen, berichtete Laumann.
• In einer Sondersitzung hat der nordrhein-westfälische Landtag am Dienstag einstimmig eine „epidemische Lage von landesweiter Tragweite“ festgestellt. Der Beschluss ist die Voraussetzung dafür, das kurz zuvor verabschiedete Pandemie-Gesetz anwenden zu können. Es sieht besondere Regierungsbefugnisse für den Fall einer katastrophalen Entwicklung der Corona-Krise vor. Unter anderem soll ein Freiwilligenregister aufgebaut werden, um im Notfall schnellstens viele Helfer rekrutieren zu können. Zudem dürften die staatlichen Behörden bei einem dramatischen Engpass Medikamente oder medizinisches Apparate beschlagnahmen.
  Die Feststellung einer epidemischen Lage ist auf zwei Monate befristet.
• NRW-Familienminister Joachim Stamp (FDP) hält es für „ausgeschlossen, dass schon am kommenden Montag Schulen und Kitas wieder regulär öffnen“. Die Landesregierung verhandele derzeit mit den Kita-Trägern über einen Stufenplan und bereite einen „Maßnahmenkatalog für ein sicheres Beisammensein zwischen Kindern und Erzieherinnen und Erziehern“ vor, sagte Stamp der „Westdeutschen Allgemeinen Zeitung” (Dienstagsausgabe). Bei den Maßnahmen gehe es um Hygieneregeln, die mit den Kindern eingeübt werden müssten, zum Beispiel das Händewaschen. Die Landesregierung diskutiere darüber, „dies zunächst mit den älteren Kindern einzuüben und dann jahrgangsweise zu erweitern“, sagte der FDP-Politiker. „Eventuell könnten wir Ende des Monats damit beginnen, aber nur unter der Voraussetzung, dass die Umsetzung der Hygienemaßnahmen bis dahin gewährleistet werden kann.“
• NRW-Ministerpräsident Armin Laschet hat in einer Oster-Ansprache am Montag einen Ausstiegsfahrplan aus den Maßnahmen zur Eindämmung der Corona-Pandemie in Aussicht gestellt (hier lesen Sie mehr). Dort hieß es, Bildungsangebote für Kinder und Jugendliche sollten „so schnell wie möglich“ ermöglicht werden. Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel diskutiert mit den Ministerpräsidenten, welche Möglichkeiten es gibt, die Einschränkungen des Lockdowns zu lockern. Am Mittwoch sollen die Maßnahmen vorgestellt werden.

Update vom 12. April: 12.832 Genesene im Land – 656 mehr als am Vormittag des Vortags

• Das NRW-Gesundheitsministerium teilte am Ostersonntag mit, dass die Zahl der bestätigten Infektionen mit dem Erreger Sars-CoV-2 in NRW auf 26.333 gestiegen ist. Das waren 682 Fälle mehr als am Karsamstag. Seit Beginn der Pandemie wurden bis Sonntag 569 Todesfälle im bevölkerungsreichsten Bundesland registriert, 35 mehr als am Vortag. Zudem meldete das Ministerium am Sonntag (Stand 11.30 Uhr) insgesamt 12.832 Genesene im Land – 656 mehr als am Vormittag des Vortags. In der größten NRW-Stadt Köln gab es 2002 bestätigte Infektionen, 44 Todesfälle und 1186 Genesene. Die Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf meldete 760 Infizierte, 9 Tote und 362 Genesene. Der seit Beginn der Corona-Krise stark betroffene Kreis Heinsberg hat 1573 Infizierte, 51 Todesfälle und 1041 Genesene.