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The federal and state governments want to contain the corona pandemic by extending the partial lockdown until shortly before Christmas. The Berlin Senate is now discussing implementation, and it might decide surprising things too.
Following the agreement between the federal and state governments to extend the partial shutdown to contain the corona pandemic, the Senate will hold a special session on Thursday. The meeting addresses the implementation of the resolutions at the state level. Ruling Mayor Michael Müller (SPD) announced that senators want to take time out for an extensive discussion.
Due to the particularly high number of corona infections in Berlin, the partial shutdown in the capital could take longer than agreed on Wednesday by the federal and state governments. “Until January,” Müller told the “Tagesspiegel” when asked if Berlin wanted to stick to the restrictions, for example in bars and restaurants, as well as in cultural and leisure areas beyond December 20. “We have the special situation here of the high incidence figures,” he added.
According to information from the German Press Agency, the red-red-green Senate wants to discuss this option in its extraordinary session. It remains to be seen whether the extent of the partial lock extension will actually be decided in the end.
The heads of country and Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) agreed on Wednesday night, after hours of deliberations, to extend the partial blockade that has been in force from November 2 to at least December 20. In addition, as of December 1, tighter contact restrictions will apply for private meetings, and a relaxation will be planned for Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
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The federal and state governments also agreed on a hotspot value: out of a number of 200 new infections per 100,000 residents in a week, the crown’s rules must be tightened again. In addition to a good 60 districts of Berlin, where this value was 218.4 on Wednesday would be affected. For comparison: the critical threshold value for this incidence, which the federal and state governments want to drop below with the help of restrictions, is 50.
After the resolutions, Müller asked for understanding for the measures. “We are in a situation where it really is a matter of life and death in many areas,” he said at night. Much has been achieved with the measures taken so far, but not enough.
Müller referred to the high burdens on the healthcare system and the serious consequences of the infection for many affected people. “We are now in Berlin in a situation where we use a quarter of the intensive care beds for Covid-19 patients,” he said. Many of them would have to be aired. In addition, there are days in Berlin with 20 to 30 deaths. “Behind every number there are fates and human tragedies.”
With a view to relaxing on vacation, Müller appealed to common sense and personal responsibility. Politicians want “of course, given this special season of the year, to make possible some things that might not be necessary if you look at the numbers very coldly,” said the current president of the Prime Ministers Conference (MPK). “But making things possible does not mean that you have to use everything that is possible.”
Each individual must be aware of what they can do to protect themselves and others, Müller said. “And family celebrations, (…) even if they are possible, you may not have to organize as big and in the same way as you have done in recent years.”
Specifically, the federal and state governments agreed, in addition to extending the partial confinement, that private meetings with friends, family and acquaintances should be limited to five people in their own home and another home due to the infection situation, excluding children from up to 14 years. During the holidays from December 23 to January 1, gatherings “with the closest family or friends” with a total of up to ten people should be possible. There are also children up to 14 years old.
New Year’s Eve fireworks in busy squares and streets are prohibited, but there should be no blanket ban on fireworks. In Berlin there was already a ban on firecrackers in several places last New Year’s Eve. According to Müller, the Senate will examine whether these zones will be expanded to avoid the formation of larger groups.
The question of what needs to be done to keep daycare centers and schools open remains controversial across the country. In regions with significantly more than 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in seven days, according to the federal-state resolution, in the future, the mask requirements will also apply in classes of class seven, in Berlin this is already a practice . It should be possible to introduce such an obligation for primary, fifth and sixth grade students; if it applies to Berlin schools it is as open as the question whether more alternative lessons will be introduced for small learning groups with learning at school and at home.
