Michael Kretschmer: Saxony enters hard lock on Monday

Stand: 2:56 pm | Reading time: 3 minutes

rehe state government of Saxony has announced, in view of the continuing high number of infections, that it will further restrict public life in the Free State. Starting next Monday, schools, kindergartens and retail establishments will be closed with the exception of essential supplies, as Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) announced on Tuesday after a cabinet meeting in Dresden. Therefore, the lock should apply until January 10.

“We have one of the strictest rules when it comes to exit restrictions, but it’s not enough,” Kretschmer said in support of the rationale. The situation in hospitals is not only tense, but also extremely dangerous. Between 20 and 30 percent of intensive care beds are occupied by corona patients, patients from Upper Lusatia would have to be transferred to Dresden or Leipzig. “In some regions there are no longer intensive care beds,” says Kretschmer. Planned restrictions are the only way to stop the infection process.

Although the situation is more difficult than in the spring, people are not as serious about the situation, Kretschmer said. The virus has a much stronger force, infections have skyrocketed. This is another reason why politicians must react now. Kretschmer announced that he had commissioned the Ministry of Social Affairs to draft a cabinet proposal, which should be approved on Friday and implemented from Monday.

Regarding schools, Kretschmer said there was no early start to the holidays. Children must be homeschooled. For young children, it is still being verified what child care options are available.

Saxon Economy Minister Martin Dulig (SPD) also called the situation “dramatic”. He announced the prohibition of alcohol in public places. In residences for the elderly and the elderly you should only access with a mask and rapid tests, sports are prohibited in closed rooms. According to Dulig, pharmacies, medical supply stores, grocery stores, drugstores, post offices, or hair salons can remain open. The sale of Christmas trees is also allowed. He accused those who reject the masks and those who deny the crown in Saxony of being the main culprits of the high number of infections.

According to Energy Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Michael Günther (Greens), there will also be restrictions on small border traffic to the Czech Republic. Additionally, the mask requirement will be extended to the entire public space.

The largest hotspot in the country

Kretschmer had already prepared the population for new restrictions in recent days. However, the cabinet wanted to wait a few more days before making any new decisions to continue monitoring developments. Obviously, the pressure of the numbers was too great in the end. Kretschmer had promised on Monday to reach an agreement first with the state parliament, the municipal level, as well as the economy and social groups. However, Kretschmer did not see disaster, as announced in Bavaria in the meantime, for Saxony.

In recent days, Saxony had become the focus of the country’s largest pandemic. Over the weekend, the number of detected infection cases increased by 5,810 to a total of 71,320. 1,298 deaths have been reported. According to the Robert Koch Institute, the districts of Bautzen (500.7) and Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains (508) exceeded the mark of 500 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in seven days. Nationally, only the Regen district in Lower Bavaria had a higher incidence value of 578.7 on Tuesday. For all of Saxony, the Robert Koch Institute showed a seven-day incidence of 319 on Tuesday; across the country it was 147.

2,492 people are currently hospitalized in Saxony with a diagnosis of Covid-19, 458 of them in intensive care.