Lauterbach sees the peak of the omicron wave reached

That’s 10,354 fewer cases than a week ago. However, the numbers are rising again in the intensive care units because more older people are now being infected with the virus: 2431 corona patients were reported there on Monday. The number is still significantly lower than in December.

Bavaria announces extensive easing

Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) took the development as an opportunity to announce extensive easing on Tuesday and thus before tomorrow’s consultations.

The contact restrictions for vaccinated and recovered are therefore completely eliminated. In addition, the corona access rules will be relaxed: Vaccinated and recovered people will no longer need an additional test anywhere from Thursday. And in some other areas of public life, such as universities, unvaccinated people will have access again – if they can show a negative test instead.

The maximum number of spectators for cultural and sporting events will also be raised: from Thursday onwards, up to 25,000 spectators will be allowed again, for example for Bundesliga games – previously it was 15,000. The capacity limits – in sports a maximum of 50 percent occupancy, in the cultural sector 75 percent – remain unchanged.

From the federal-state round on Wednesday, Bavaria also expects “further opening prospects” for gastronomy, the accommodation sector as well as pubs, clubs and discos. The cabinet committee says: “Bavaria can imagine opening the gastronomy and accommodation sector to 3G soon.” Taverns, clubs and discotheques could be opened cautiously under the conditions of 2G plus. In Bavaria, however, they do not want to act alone, but hope for nationwide steps.

Söder says that today, Tuesday, it can be seen that the Corona crisis has reached its peak. “We are team caution and team freedom, but not team stubborn,” said the prime minister. One only goes according to the “objective standard” of dangerousness.

Union urges caution

Bavaria is already implementing some of the decisions planned for Wednesday. A proposal agreed between the Chancellery, the chair and co-chair of the Prime Ministers’ Conference (MPK) states that the corona protection measures should be largely and gradually phased out by March 20.

As a first step, private meetings for vaccinated and recovered people should be made possible again with more people. In retail, the 2G rule should fall nationwide, but the obligation to wear a mask will remain.

Union parliamentary group manager Thorsten Frei (CDU) warned against completely abandoning a legal basis for further corona measures. It would be negligent if the corresponding regulations in the Infection Protection Act simply expired on March 19, said Frei.

He also thinks it is right to abolish regulations now if the health care system is not overloaded. But you don’t know what will happen in six or eight weeks. “I would like to give the countries the chance to react to an outbreak of infection.”

If the federal government did nothing at all, the toolbox for the federal states would be completely empty, explained Frei. Only the slightest restrictions such as protective masks would be possible. He would therefore not end the basis in the Infection Protection Act on March 19th. According to the current legal situation, the Bundestag could extend the validity by a flat rate of three months.

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With a view to the Corona meeting on Wednesday, leading business associations insisted on a uniform opening timetable. Peter Adrian, President of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), said: “More and more companies are threatened by the pandemic – concrete opening steps are therefore crucial now.” significantly deteriorated.

Adrian referred to a current survey by the association. After that, the proportion of companies with liquidity bottlenecks increased significantly, in the hospitality industry even almost doubling to 35 percent since autumn.

Economy insists on speed with compulsory vaccination

Adrian added: “The announced opening steps are therefore an important signal for the crisis industries and our inner cities.” The closures in the past two years have made the question of the future of the inner cities even more important, says Adrian. “Because many dealers and service providers are located here. But strong city centers are much more than business locations.” Attractive city centers are also a decisive factor in attracting skilled workers.

The Federation of German Industries (BDI) also pointed out that companies were groaning under significant corona-related staff shortages, inconsistent pandemic conditions and high voluntary investments to protect their workforce.

BDI boss Siegfried Russwurm warned: “This must not become a permanent condition for the coming years.” A high vaccination rate remains the most effective way out of the pandemic with a view to the course of the year. There is a risk of new waves of infection by autumn at the latest.

In view of the stagnating number of vaccinations, the BDI believes that the federal and state governments have a clear mandate not to lose any more time when making a decision on compulsory vaccination: “It would be negligent to neglect the decisive instrument of compulsory vaccination in the phase of responsible easing that is now beginning.”

On Tuesday it became known that the first reading in the Bundestag on the cross-party motions to introduce general compulsory vaccination should not take place until the first week of March.

At the same time, Russwurm said it makes sense to now decide on concrete, gradual easing steps. The first responsible opening steps should only be taken after the peak of the omicron wave: “We cannot afford to unnecessarily prolong the infection process by acting prematurely and thus get caught in a pandemic loop.”

With agency material.

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