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Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) has defended the extension of the crown blockade until January 31. A “deepening” of the restrictions is also necessary “to make it go faster,” Söder said in a government statement in the Bavarian state parliament. It’s about reducing contacts and mobility. “The real goal is to stay home.” Therefore, as of Monday, all households in Bavaria should only be able to meet with one person from another household. The Prime Minister promised a “viable solution for young children up to three years old, who should be exempt.”
The 15-kilometer movement restriction envisaged for the corona hotspots is “light regulation” by international comparison, Söder stressed. As of Monday, citizens of municipalities with an incidence in seven days of more than 200 can travel a maximum of 15 kilometers from their place of residence (city or municipality limit) for a one-day tourist excursion. Also, according to Söder, there is a possibility that districts will ban one-day sightseeing excursions to their district.
Bavaria: 30 percent of residents in the home were vaccinated once
Meanwhile, the prime minister rejected the accusation by the opposition that there was a “vaccination chaos” in Bavaria. In Söder’s opinion, it is correct to decide on the spot in the 99 Bavarian vaccination centers how vaccinations are best organized. So far, according to Söder, there have been around 93,000 vaccines in Bavaria, which is not a negative value given the current total of 410,000 vaccines administered in Germany.
According to the prime minister, so far 30 percent of the residents of nursing homes and retirement homes in Bavaria have been vaccinated against the corona virus; Two vaccines are needed within three to four weeks for complete protection from vaccination. In contrast, according to the prime minister, only about 16 percent of nursing staff in homes have been vaccinated once. Basically, Söder said: “Sadly, nursing homes and old people’s homes are still an Achilles heel.”
Schools: digitization is too slow
Söder defended the decision to leave Bavarian schools closed until January 31 and move to distance learning. It is wise and prudent to “trust safety” in this area as well. In addition, there is emergency care for dependent parents.
Regarding the scandal over the online learning platform Mebis, Söder said that the platform was not developed for distance learning, there was no “direct contact”, video formats were better. In principle, the digitization of schools throughout Germany is proceeding too slowly, according to the Prime Minister: the coordination processes took too long, especially since there is money available for it. The convenience of digitization in the public sector must come to an end, Söder said.
Söder: crown time is even longer
The Prime Minister is convinced that the corona pandemic will determine life in the Free State for a long time to come. Corona will also dominate the year 2021. “The situation remains dire,” Söder said. Anyone who thinks that the Corona period will soon end is wrong. He even feared it would “last even longer.” The state government remains confident in safety and remains patient. The measures taken so far have already contributed something, the incidence has dropped. However, the number of deaths is staggering, the situation in hospitals is still worrying.
In addition, he was skeptical “if the current figures reflect the actual infection rate,” Söder said. “There is already concern for the dark figure.” A “greater danger to all of us” could come from the mutated virus, which is spreading faster. Experience in other countries has shown that it is particularly effective for young people and school children. “That is why we have to be careful here.” Therefore, the rules of the crown are “proportionate”. You cannot tell when and how you will relax. “We are in the middle of winter.”
Greens Call for Binding Rules for Home Offices
In the opinion of the leader of the Parliamentary group of the Greens, Ludwig Hartmann, “there is no other option” at this moment than to extend the protection measures and in some cases to toughen them. You have to go down the stony path to “push down” the infection process.
At the same time, Hartmann criticized, however, that there was a “bias” in view of the mandatory restrictions in the private sector and only appeals to companies. In private life there will be maximum restrictions from Monday, because no one can survive a crisis alone. Yet at the same time, many people would still be sitting in open-plan offices without a mask. Hartmann asked the Prime Minister to invite him to a “home office summit”, with employers ‘and workers’ associations. What is needed are “ultimately binding rules for the central office” in times of pandemic. “The principle must be: Ministry of the Interior is the rule, presence is the exception. An exception that must be justified by the employer.”
The leader of the Green Group criticized the 15-kilometer rule as an expression of the powerlessness of the state government. This restriction of movement is not understandable. Hartmann complained that this would ruin people’s confidence.
Kreuzer: Excursions “don’t fit our time”
The leader of the CSU parliamentary group, Thomas Kreuzer, explained that the 15-kilometer radius planned since Monday, the excursions “do not fit with our time”, sometimes people would drive hundreds of kilometers for it. But you can also move “within your community”. Kreuzer appealed to everyone to think carefully about the risk of infection they would like to accept.
The leader of the parliamentary group of free voters, Florian Streibl, emphasized that the state government was “based on the dignity and uniqueness of every human life.” According to him, current decisions are made “because it is necessary and not because it is fun.” In view of the closed gastronomy, Streibl said: “No business visit is worth a human life.”
Criticism of the SPD to the rule of the 15 km
Meanwhile, the SPD parliamentary group also expressed their lack of understanding about the 15 kilometer radius for day trips. “From our point of view, this regulation is not adequate to contain infections,” said parliamentary group leader Horst Arnold. In addition, the rule can hardly be controlled and is inscrutable to people. Arnold also criticized the strict contact restrictions in Bavaria since Monday: from the SPD’s point of view, gatherings of five people from a maximum of two households should remain allowed. According to Arnold, the 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew should no longer apply across all of Bavaria, but only at corona critical points with an incidence of more than 200.
AfD attacks Söder
The chairman of the AfD parliamentary group, Ingo Hahn, harshly criticized Prime Minister Söder. As measures tighten, risk groups in Bavaria remain defenseless. Politicians have to act here.
Hahn also spoke of a “failure” with the corona vaccination, which he still views critically. But first the green clover vaccine was praised, and then the “rush start of vaccination” is so “screwed up.” The vaccine was developed in Germany and will be vaccinated first in the United States, Great Britain and Israel. “Your policy, Mr Söder, is a catastrophe, in all respects,” Hahn said.
FDP: New rules “inadequate and far removed from everyday life”
The leader of the FDP parliamentary group, Martin Hagen, also expressed “considerable doubts” about the new measures. The federal and state governments have noted that the infection rate currently cannot be adequately assessed. He understands that in view of this unclear data situation, no far-reaching relaxations are taking place. But “instinct-based restrictions on basic rights are unacceptable.” Furthermore, the new measures are “inappropriate and far removed from everyday life.” The radius of 15 kilometers and the even stricter contact restrictions would not reduce the number of infections, “but at best the acceptance of the crown measures,” criticized the FDP politician.
Grandma and Grandpa can only visit separately, Hagen complained. Children should not see their friends “when their parents are with them, not even outside.” That is hostile family and children. Instead of constantly deciding on new restrictions for citizens, the state government should rather look at “what the state can do to contain it.” The people of the country urgently need an open perspective.
