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About three weeks after the partial shutdown went into effect in early November, and shortly before new negotiations between the federal state begin and next week, several high-ranking federal politicians voiced their assessment of the effectiveness. Faced with advice from federal states on future measures against the corona pandemic, pressure for an extension or expansion of restrictions is mounting.
What will follow the partial blockade in November?
Because until now the goal of the partial blockade imposed in early November, a sharp reduction in the number of infections, has been overlooked, as virologists and doctors complain. A new high number of new infections was only reported on Friday. As the business magazine “Business Insider” reported, citing country circles, the above measures could therefore be extended to December 20 and the winter holidays nationwide to January 10.
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However, Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn (CDU) called the partial shutdown a success in fighting the crown crisis. “The breakwater works,” he told the “Welt” on Saturday. “The exponential growth has been broken. We agree that that is not enough. But it has been successful, once again.”
Spahn: particular challenge due to population structure
Jens Spahn justified the great importance that the federal government attaches to the number of infections. “We are the country with one of the oldest populations in the world,” said the minister. As the number of infections increases, sooner or later the need for treatment in intensive care units will also increase. “I want us to break the wave before there is a lot of unnecessary suffering in hospitals,” Spahn emphasized.
Lindner: Closing restaurants was unnecessary
FDP President Christian Lindner contradicted the minister in the “global” debate and accused the government of a lack of strategy. “My fear is: we will not find a way out of the current lockdown in November this year,” Lindner said. “And if we end it, the next one will be there a few weeks later. That would be an intermittent policy that causes enormous social and economic damage.” The government’s breakwater strategy is not working, it is not sustainable, Lindner said. He reiterated his position that with better protection of risk groups, the closure of gastronomy, culture, leisure and sports would have been unnecessary.
Free voters warn of “endless lockdown”
The head of free voters and Bavarian economy minister Hubert Aiwanger said on Saturday that families should be able to go out to dinner at Christmas. If the restaurant industry were cut out of December business, taxpayers would have to pay back tens of billions of euros in aid, he said. The Chancellor and Prime Ministers would also have to weigh this when they discuss further action on Wednesday.
In any case, Free Voters warn of an “endless lockdown.” Instead, there should soon be “openness in a sense of proportion,” they demanded at their federal board meeting in Koblenz.
Braun: “Special care” asked before Christmas
The head of the chancellery, Helge Braun (CDU), urges special caution before Christmas amid high crown numbers. “It is inconceivable to me that grandparents don’t celebrate at Christmas,” Braun told the Germany publishing network on Saturday. “So you have to be especially careful.” According to the newspaper, Braun emphasized: “More important than the number of people who get together is that you reduce your contacts beforehand and make sure that no one has symptoms.” The Federal Chancellery’s requirement to strictly reduce private contacts is a behavioral indicator, he said. “It’s kind of a winter tag.” Avoiding contact sounds very abstract, the advice to avoid celebrations, meeting lots of friends, and traveling shows just how important it is.
How will the schools continue?
Education ministers had always insisted that schools remain open during the second Corona wave. But the limited impact of the partial lockdown. Now the focus is back on schools. What is the beginning of the federal-state negotiations?
It is not yet clear whether states will be able to agree on a common approach after blocking Chancellor Angela Merkel’s (CDU) efforts last Monday to achieve a more effective approach. The state heads of government want to agree on their own proposal on Monday, before starting consultations with Merkel on Wednesday.
Dobrindt: debate on school holidays
The head of the CSU members of the Bundestag, Alexander Dobrindt, called for “additional restrictions” to curb the number of infections until Christmas. Therefore, the infection rate in schools should be reduced further, the president of the CSU regional group of the “Passauer Neue Presse” said on Saturday. “Schools can, for example, switch to alternate courses or hybrid courses.” Students could also be equipped with more protective FFP2 masks. It will be discussed whether the school holidays should start earlier and end later. So far, depending on the country, they start on December 19 or 23 and end between January 3 and 10.
Chancellor’s chief Helge Braun had pointed out high infection rates among teenagers and young adults and suggested that older students increasingly teach digitally at home as well. If the partial lockdown continues, aid for those affected in the economy should continue, Dobrindt said. “Then the November aid will also be extended.”
Doctors beg to tighten
Physicians and virologists also advocate tightening the above measures. “This should include that in all secondary schools classes are immediately divided and switched to alternate lessons,” virologist Alexander Kekulé from the University of Halle-Wittenberg of the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” said on Saturday. “Second, the Christmas holidays across the country should start a week before December 24.” That could help get you back in the green zone by the turn of the year. The president of the German Medical Association, Klaus Reinhardt, told the “Passauer Neue Presse”: “It must be assumed that the closing light will continue in December. This is also necessary in view of the situation in the intensive care units.”
The Robert Koch Institute currently reports 22,964 new corona infections in 24 hours.
