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Tuesday, December 8, 2020
Increasingly difficult measures
One, two, many closures
By Hubertus Volmer
Countries with a high number of infections, such as Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, are pushing for a national shutdown. In Saxony, the state with the highest incidence of seven days, it will apply from next week.
Lower Saxony is against it, Bavaria defends it, in Saxony it has been applied since Monday: the hard blockade. Solving it for all of Germany is currently just a proposal from the Leopoldina, the national academy of sciences. Before this proposal is implemented, the prime ministers would have to reach an agreement, because protection against infection is the responsibility of the federal states. So far, the next meeting of the country’s leaders with Chancellor Angela Merkel is scheduled for early January.
But some countries are now exerting pressure and they also refer to the Leopoldina. In a statement released this morning, the Academy recommends using the Christmas and New Year holidays for a “hard lockdown.”
The scientists referred to experiences in countries such as Ireland, where strict measures over a short period of time would have helped to significantly reduce the number of infections and regain control of the infection process. Specifically, they propose a two-stage procedure: as of December 14, all contacts must be reduced “to the absolute minimum.” This includes schools: “Compulsory schooling should be suspended in all federal states before the start of the Christmas holidays.” A strict lockdown must be applied from Christmas Eve until at least January 10. Then all stores must remain closed, with the exception of those for daily needs.
Exit restrictions in Bavaria
In an afternoon government statement, Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder called Leopoldina’s proposal an “impressive warning.” If the Prime Minister’s Conference decides on a “deeper lockdown” from December 24 to January 10, Bavaria will support it. However, he does not want to take this step alone: for a strict lockdown, uniform regulations for the whole of Germany and “trade support” are needed, that is, financial aid from the federal government.
The focus of the Söder government’s statement was tightening the crown’s measures, which it announced on Sunday, including night curfews at hotspots and exit restrictions across Bavaria. After the approval of the Bavarian state parliament, the new measures will come into effect on Wednesday evening. Söder clung to the planned relaxation for Christmas, but said: “If the number of infections increases dramatically, we will take a closer look.”
Lockdown in Saxony
When Söder spoke, the Saxon state government had already announced a strict lockdown, which will be decided on Friday and will run from December 14 to January 10. Saxony is the first federal state to take this drastic step in view of the increasing number of infections. It is also the state with the highest incidence of 7 days.
Schools, kindergartens and shops in Saxony will be closed from next Monday, pupils must take classes at home. An exception applies to stores for daily necessities. Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer did not use the word “lockdown” in his announcement. The situation is more serious than in the spring, he said, but people “are not that serious.”
No Christmas relaxation in Thuringia
Thuringia, which ranks second in 7-day incidence after Saxony and ahead of Bavaria, will not loosen applicable crown measures during Christmas, Health Minister Heike Werner said after a state government cabinet meeting there. According to the left-wing politician, even stricter rules are planned at critical points in Corona. “The situation is serious.”
Rhineland-Palatinate wants to relax less
The Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate, Malu Dreyer, announced “that the relaxation promised at Christmas and New Year’s Eve cannot be carried out in this way.” In any case, there will be an exception for Christmas, according to the SPD politician. The regulation for this should arrive next week.
Berlin Senate is considering closure after Christmas
Berlin Economic Affairs Senator Ramona Pop said after a Berlin Senate meeting that there could be restrictions on retail after the holidays. In addition, the education administration is examining an extension of the Christmas holidays, said the Green politician. There are still no concrete decisions.
Hessen decides the night curfew
Hessian Prime Minister Volker Bouffier said in a government statement that in the future there would also be night curfews at hotspots in Hesse. Furthermore, the consumption of alcohol in public places is prohibited 24 hours a day. On the other hand, there should not be a total blockade “as long as it is justifiable,” said the CDU politician.
Lower Saxony rejects the blockade
Stephan Weil, the prime minister of Lower Saxony, where the number of cases is significantly lower, does not see the need for a stricter lockdown. “At this point, I advise you to be more restrained, be careful and weigh things up, rather than promoting solutions that are too simple and too fast,” said the SPD politician in the “early start” of ntv.
Kretschmann calls for a quick meeting with Merkel
There are also differences of opinion among prime ministers on when their next conference with Merkel should take place. So far, this change is scheduled for January 4; the last one so far took place on December 2. Some prime ministers are demanding that the group meet again before Christmas, notably the Green Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg, Winfried Kretschmann. His government spokesman Rudi Hoogvliet told the “Stuttgarter Zeitung” that a meeting was necessary before Christmas. At a cabinet meeting in Stuttgart, Kretschmann said, according to information from the German press agency, that it could not continue as is currently the case, “an abrupt closure is approaching after Christmas.”
The Berliner Pop said that government mayor Michael Müller is in talks with the other leaders of the country; the SPD politician is currently president of the Prime Minister’s Conference. On Monday, Müller had said that he did not consider a meeting necessary before Christmas. Thuringian Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow made a similar statement. “At the Prime Minister’s Conference we set regulations until January 10, 2021,” said the left-wing Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung politician. Everybody knows what to do.
