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Bchancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) has once again asked citizens to comply with restrictions in the fight against the crown pandemic. Although something that could not have been foreseen from the start was achieved, hospitals, doctors and nursing staff were not overburdened, Merkel said Wednesday after a change conference with heads of state.
But that was only “a fragile interim success,” Merkel cautioned. There is still not much room for change or rushing, even if there are good intentions behind this. Everyone would have to live with the virus as long as there were no drugs or vaccines, Merkel said. You have to be very careful. At the same time, the chancellor thanked the citizens for largely complying with the restrictions.
Merkel had previously coordinated with the country’s heads in a four-hour video conference on Germany’s course of action in the Corona crisis.
The federal and state governments agreed that contact restrictions would be maintained with a minimum distance of 1.5 meters. “This continues to apply, and the authorities continue to punish the violations,” Merkel said. Wearing mouth and nose masks every day on local public transport and when shopping is “highly recommended” for citizens.
Söder speaks of a “mask requirement”
Bavarian prime minister Markus Söder (CSU) wanted the mask recommendation to be understood more as a “mask requirement”. Bavaria wants to gradually reopen schools starting May 11, initially in the final classes, Söder said at the joint press conference with Merkel, Deputy Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher (both SPD). Kindergartens and elementary schools remained closed, except for fourth grade. Other federal states want to start the school’s opening on May 4.
That means the “mask requirement” for Markus Söder
Bavaria wants to gradually reopen schools starting May 11, initially for the final classes. Kindergartens and elementary schools will be closed for the time being, except for fourth grade. Other federal states want to start the school’s opening on May 4.
Söder was satisfied with the decisions to reopen the schools in the Corona crisis. He was “very, very grateful” because “no wrong decisions were made” and would not reopen next week, Söder said.
Overall, Germany has overcome the crisis so far better than other countries, but the southern Federal Republic has been hit harder by the pandemic, Söder said. Therefore, Bavaria will now also act “somewhat behind schedule” and be “more careful”.
Furthermore, religious celebrations such as religious services “do not initially take place,” as Merkel said. This week, however, there will be talks with religious representatives on “how to find a mutually acceptable way to proceed.”
Tschentscher: “The ice is thin”
Mayor of hamburg Peter Tschentscher He said the infection rate slowed down a lot, but added: “We don’t have much leeway. The ice is thin. “
Hamburg Mayor Tschentscher – “It’s like holding your breath”
Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher says the infection process has been delayed very, very strongly. But he adds: “We don’t have much room for maneuver. The ice is thin. ”
There was an agreement between the federal government and the states to loosen the measures “very, very carefully,” Tschentscher said. “It remains the primary goal that we protect human health and life.” Citizens would have to be prepared to face the pandemic for a longer period of time.
Flexibility is seen by the economy as an “absolute minimum”
According to the finance minister Olaf Scholz There will still be “a long time” when Germany must change its economic and social life in order to live with the virus. “We are moving towards a new normal,” said Scholz. The first changes could now be made with a sense of proportion and confidence.
CDU presidential candidate Friedrich merz he believes that a quick exit from the Corona measures in Germany is wrong. In hindsight, we can only assess whether they are “really accurate” in the way that has now been decided; It would even be conceivable that a bit of loosening would loosen if the number of infections increased again, “Merz told the t-online .de news portal. The federal government and prime ministers could only make day-to-day decisions.
The director of the German Institute of Economics (IW), Michael Hüther, does not consider the resolved resolution of the crown restrictions to be a great success. “It is the absolute minimum of what is necessary,” he told the media portal “t-online.de”. “Because in retail, we often come across business models with a short capital base and low margins. This is about existential questions. But that also applies to restaurants and hotels, where there is no end in sight. ” The last few weeks have also not been used to systematically prepare for the release of the restrictions. There is also a lack of coordination at the European level. Each country works for itself.
Lauterbach criticizes the first easing
The SPD Health Expert Karl Lauterbach He criticized the first easing of the crown restrictions: “As an epidemiologist, I would prefer the stricter continuation of contact blocks,” Lauterbach told the news portal “t-online.de”. In particular, he criticized that the protection measures would now be relaxed “without masks, applications and massive tests”.
FDP Chief Christian Lindner asked that the expansion be expanded a bit. “Wouldn’t it be possible to do more with retail, catering and education if protection concepts were available?” He tweeted. “In any case, the government should check weekly and not just in late April.”
Chief of the Greens Robert Habeck praised the decisions. From the Greens’ point of view, the decisions are “generally appropriate,” Habeck said Wednesday in Flensburg. “They give some relaxation, and therefore brighten the horizon. But they are cautious enough that, as far as we know, we are not at too great a risk of overwhelming the healthcare system.”
Habeck said it was good that a general agreement had been reached. People should not have the feeling that they are party tactics. However, the federal government had to do better by creating the conditions for more relaxation, for example with protective masks and protective clothing. He called on the state’s culture ministers not to leave children who cannot return to school or daycare alone. Equality of opportunity must be safeguarded.
