The traffic light groups are fighting for new measures to weaken the fourth corona wave.
(Photo: dpa)
Berlin The number of corona cases is developing exponentially, virologists are warning of the force of the wave, politics is lagging behind the development and acting helplessly. That was the case this year just before Easter. In their distress, the Prime Minister’s Conference devised the “Easter rest” – additional days off to reduce contacts. An idea that Chancellor Merkel had to take back hours later. Too little thought out, too little scrutiny of practicability and legal certainty.
And now the déjà vu – with the difference that the incidence around Easter was not even half as high as it is today. The number of infections is skyrocketing again, virologists warn – and politicians react more than they act. Bit by bit, the traffic light groups are taking back promised easing, and over the weekend the coalition of those willing to open has turned into a coalition of brakes.
Much of what is now being discussed is reminiscent of the unfortunate “Easter rest”. You can already feel sorry for the train attendants who, in addition to the mask requirement, should also check the negative test result in the future.
The Infection Protection Act offers the necessary tools
SPD, Greens and FDP – driven by the liberals’ drive for freedom – have put themselves in this tricky position. The announcement that the epidemic emergency of national scope would expire and that the pandemic would end in March was premature. The SPD, Greens and FDP are now there as driven. From the number of cases. And of a Union that would like to make you quickly forget that, as the ruling party, it had itself promised the citizens the swift return of their civil liberties.
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Instead of constantly making new proposals and then letting them talk to death again in a prime ministerial conference, the traffic light groups should muster the size to admit a mistake – and prolong the epidemic situation of national importance. This should best be done in a broad consensus of the parties represented in the Bundestag, in order to make the seriousness of the situation clear and to demonstrate unity.
The current version of the Infection Protection Act provides the federal states with the tools they need to be able to react appropriately to regional infection events. These tools should remain in the instrument case, even at the risk of individual dishes being removed. Otherwise, the second corona winter could be remembered as the moment the traffic light made its first big mistake, before it was even in office.
More: Traffic light parties are planning contact restrictions for unvaccinated people – 3G in buses and trains.