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If the number of new infections does not drop soon, Health Minister Spahn is also in favor of stricter restrictions. Stores could close again. The Robert Koch Institute reported 14,054 new cases.
Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn believes that stricter contact restrictions are necessary if the high number of corona infections does not decrease in the near future.
The next few days are crucial
“The short, comprehensive approach to really making a difference is probably the most successful. If we don’t get there with the development of the next week or two until Christmas, then we have to discuss it,” Spahn told Phoenix television station.
The minister did not rule out the possibility of another lockdown on retail. “We have to make that dependent on the next few days if we can cut the numbers,” Spahn said.
Closing after Christmas?
The newspaper “Bild” reported that tough measures should be taken after the holidays until the beginning of the year. There is talk of leaving supermarkets open only between December 27 and January 3 or 10.
In Saxony, there are discussions about the closing of shops from next Monday. As in spring, only essential stores should remain open. It is not yet clear what exactly these are besides grocery stores.
More than 14,000 new cases
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported 14,054 new cases of infection in 24 hours, citing health authorities. That was 450 more new infections than Tuesday a week ago. According to the information, the number of deaths per corona increased by 423 to 19,342 in one day.
According to information from RKI, a total of 1,197,709 corona infections have been recorded in Germany since the start of the pandemic. The number of people recovered was around 881,800.
Politicians are concerned that after five weeks of the partial lockdown there are no signs of a drop in the number of new infections. Germany is far from the goal of reducing the number to less than 50 per 100,000 inhabitants in seven days. No federal state is currently below the mark.
An advance meeting between the state and the federal government is possible
It is unclear whether the federal government and the prime minister will meet again before Christmas to take stricter measures. So far, a new prime minister’s conference is not scheduled for January 4.
According to the participants, Chancellor Angela Merkel emphasized in a video meeting of the Union parliamentary group on Monday that the measures taken so far will not help it reduce the stagnant number of infections, which is too high. You won’t be able to get through the winter without additional measures. What to do and where to decide before Christmas.
The governments of Bavaria, Saarland and Baden-Wuerttemberg, like Merkel, insisted on a quick additional meeting of prime ministers. The heads of government of Berlin, Bremen, Lower Saxony and Thuringia expressed doubts as to whether this is necessary. Several state cabinets, including those in Erfurt and Dresden, will meet today.
Lauterbach for hard closure
SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach has warned the federal and state governments to consult quickly. “The sooner the chancellor and the prime minister make decisions to seriously regain control of the situation, the better,” Lauterbach told the “Passauer Neue Presse.” “We have to impose a tougher closure for the time after Christmas,” demanded the SPD politician.
