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The majority of the population supports the policy of the state government. However, the corona policy is not very effective in some areas. This includes the situation in nursing homes, coordination with health authorities and dealing with schools.
Nursing homes
Already in focus at the beginning of the pandemic
Back in March, Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) made it clear in a government statement: “There is a high risk for the elderly, people with previous illnesses or a weakened immune system … We have to protect these people! ” Drastic measures are then taken: the state government closes the facilities, restricts the right to visit and cuts off outside access.
Despite the precautionary measures, there will soon be larger outbreaks of Covid-19, for example in a home for the elderly in Würzburg. Of a total of 70 residents who tested positive for Corona, 25 die.
The clamor for protective clothing and protective masks is getting louder. One needs the material urgently, including more staff. Outbreaks of Covid-19 continue in healthcare centers in Munich, Schweinfurt and Bad Feilnbach. In early April, Prime Minister Söder announced “nearly complete and repeated tests.”
“Also for employees of nursing homes and for the elderly, in order to have the best possible equipment when it comes to tests,” says Söder in a press release. Also, nursing homes and nursing homes should have a high priority for the best quality protective masks. Bavarian Health Minister Melanie Huml (CSU) is creating a task force of 100 people and also promises more protective gear.
In short: there are still many weak points
After nine months of the pandemic, the acquisition of protective equipment is no longer a problem, according to the “Kommunale Altenpflege Bayern”. The federal government made a free delivery of FFP2 masks. However: retirement homes are also becoming hot spots in the second wave. The RKI reports: every fifth resident of a nursing home in Germany who is infected with corona dies.
Today, the facility is also struggling to organize tests for employees. Also, visitors have recently had to show a negative corona test. This also causes problems because households fear an additional workload.
Criticism, not only from the opposition, but also from the associations
Ruth Waldmann, a health policy spokeswoman for the SPD parliamentary group, criticizes the fact that the facilities management and gatekeepers are left alone with questions about the tests. Nor could they do it and finance everything themselves. Katrin Ebner-Steiner, group leader of the AfD, even sees a total failure. He accuses the state government of having done nothing to systematically protect the elderly.
Criticism from the opposition may appear to be expected. But even associations such as the “Kommunale Altenpflege Bayern” complain that the government did not contact the houses. The specifications were often a surprise and would have caused more disturbances than the virus itself. According to KAB board member Michael Pflügner, a comprehensive corona treatment strategy is missing. A spokesman for the Bavarian Ministry of Health and Care said of BR24’s request: “We are working hard to support households with medical care and testing.”
HEALTH OFFICE
Much to catch up at the beginning of the crisis
As early as March, at the start of the pandemic, the state government, made up of the CSU and free voters, wants to ensure that people infected with the coronavirus are traced. With the help of the health authorities. But there is a problem: savings have been made here for years, offices are not prepared for a pandemic. That is why Prime Minister Söder is investing in the responsible departments and deciding “that the health departments will now be increased by 400 employees from other authorities.”
Bavaria does not handle the tests only with the health authorities. Especially when the prime minister decides to do tests for those who return home in August. External partners are incorporated. But hundreds of returning travelers are not informed of their test results. There is massive criticism from the opposition. The resignation of the Minister of Health, Melanie Huml (CSU), is even being requested.
The staffing of health authorities will also focus on the summer. A request from the leader of the Green parliamentary group, Katharina Schulze, reveals “that one person is missing in every fifth position.” And that in the middle of a pandemic, as Schulze points out.
In his third government statement on Corona on October 21, Prime Minister Markus Söder announced that he would once again strengthen the health authorities with 2,000 additional employees.
In mid-November, health authorities in Nuremberg and Fürth declared that they can no longer immediately inform close contacts of people infected by the crown for capacity reasons. They ask the infected to do it themselves. Health Minister Huml promises more support.
Balance: overloaded health authorities
After nine months of the pandemic, there are 1,200 new employees and almost 2,000 policemen, Bundeswehr soldiers and public officials who are assisting in the health authorities. However, there is no success. Health authorities are at their limit and, according to their own statements, they are also sinking into chaos in the second crown wave.
Corona and the health authorities – the criticism
The fact that data acquisition and data collection in a highly industrialized country like Germany in the 21st century does not work initially and even after nine months is incomprehensible to the member of the state parliament Gülseren Demirel (B90 / The Greens): “The first blockade was in April and we now have the end of the year.”
SCHOOLS
“Digitization” was uncharted territory at the beginning of the pandemic
March 16, 2020: Day 1 of the first lockdown. The Mebis learning platform collapses. It is not clear if it was a hacker attack or if the system is overloaded. But Mebis also caused problems in the following weeks. There is also a lack of laptops for students and teachers. Only a few schools have any concept for digital teaching; worksheets are often simply sent home.
During this time, there is still a lot of understanding of the issues, also from Henrike Paede, the vice-president of the Bavarian Parents Association. “At first you can let extenuating circumstances prevail. You’ve slept for years, but things should have gone en masse over the summer.”
That’s what it looks like at first. The state government invites you to the school summit on the penultimate day of school before summer break. Prime Minister Söder wants to launch a “digital turbo” and establish a “Bavarian cloud”. Furthermore, the digitization of schools and lessons will accelerate in the current legislative period by almost € 500 million a year, in addition to federal funds.
Balance: good for hardware, fairly poor for software
But what about now, five months later? The development of the Bayern-Cloud is still in the planning stage, according to the Ministry of Culture at the request of the BR. The problems appear to have been largely solved with student and teacher laptops.
The Ministry of Education and Culture informs the BR: “The total of 107.8 million euros in financing has been fully approved and paid to school expenses upon request.” There are currently almost 140,000 laptop rentals in Bavaria, tripling compared to spring. Success in this area is confirmed by both the Bavarian Teachers Association and the Bavarian Parents Association: the associations received hardly any complaints.
Criticism: communication problems and digitization chaos
It looks different with the maintenance of the systems, so the educational politician Matthias Fischbach of the FDP. There was a lack of sysadmins everywhere: “Especially when it comes to the new loaner devices. They were not considered. Although there was general agreement on the ‘maintenance and care’ issue at the school summit in July, the project The announced bill is not yet ready and the money announced by the federal government has not yet reached Bavaria through the bureaucratic mill. ”
Education politician Fischbach accuses Education Minister Michael Piazolo (Free Voters) of lack of courage: “When it comes to important issues, such as data protection, Piazolo is only vague. Those who want to be innovative at the local level even take risks. to receive penalties in the end. It has no notable disadvantage. “
Above all, criticisms and even calls for the resignation of the ranks of the opposition abound regarding the communication style of the Minister of Education. But there is also discontent with the coalition partner CSU. Meanwhile, even the coalition’s blessing is skewed due to school policy. Söder has given his education minister an ultimatum: distance and alternate lessons should work until after the Christmas holidays.
