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Status: 13.12.2020 10:02 am
The federal and state governments have been talking about new restrictions in the fight against the corona virus since 10 a.m. The Lower Saxony state government has spoken out in favor of uniform rules at the national level.
Due to the growing number of cases, Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and the country’s 16 leaders are supposed to agree to stricter measures. In the run-up, there was talk of a so-called nationwide lockdown that will take effect from Wednesday. According to information from the ARD capital study, the federal states governed by the CDU and the green region of Baden-Württemberg agree that the strict lockdown should be applied from Wednesday at the latest.
Althusmann would like to work together
Therefore, they propose that only grocery stores, pharmacies and gas stations remain open. According to constant media reports, the SPD-led federal states also want to speak out in favor of a quick shutdown. It is still a matter of controversy whether schools and daycare centers should be closed and whether contact restrictions will be tightened even more at Christmas. Lower Saxony’s Economy Minister Bernd Althusmann (CDU) had previously advocated for a joint approach of all countries. He thinks retail will have to close a few days before Christmas, Althusmann said. To avoid panic buying, these measures should be carried out in advance.
AUDIO: Northern retail trade warns of lockdown (1 min)
Commerce fears crowds if it closes quickly
Althusmann and Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD) had a video conference with trade representatives on Friday, including the executive director of the Lower Saxony-Bremen trade association, Mark Alexander Krack. Speak out against a harsh short-term lockdown. This could generate large crowds in front of stores and in the city center. The longer the retail store stays open, the more uniform the events become. Krack asked for a long-term roadmap that traders could use as a guide. Althusmann also supported this. Prospects and a plan must be developed for the period starting in January, but the infection process must first be broken, the minister said. This is only possible with a lock.
Last day of shopping for now?
Meanwhile, many people in Lower Saxony and Bremen have taken the opportunity to go shopping for Christmas due to discussions about closing business on Saturday. “Compared to the previous weeks, you can tell that more people have been there,” Krack said. But this should not hide the fact that sales before the third Advent of this year would be 40 to 50 percent lower than the previous year.
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Is there a threat of triage in clinics at Christmas?
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) received 321 more deaths and 20,200 new infections nationwide in one day. The peak was reached on Friday with 598 deaths and 29,875 reported cases. In Lower Saxony, the State Health Office (NLGA) reported 1,339 new infections yesterday. Another 30 people have died with or from the virus. Doctors warn of a dramatic situation in German hospitals at Christmas and the so-called triage, that is, the weighing of which patient can still be adequately treated in intensive care. According to the Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (DIVI), there will be an average of 30,000 new infections per day in the next two weeks and 420,000 people infected by Christmas. Since some of them show severe disease processes, it may no longer be possible for all appropriate intensive medical care. The virologist from Lower Saxony made a decision on how to do this Christian Drosten explained at an event in Emsland in early November.
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Crown in Lower Saxony – current reports
