The Greens and SPD want to wait and see if the corona measures are relaxed.
(Photo: dpa)
Berlin A week and a half before the next federal-state round, the traffic light government is divided about the further course in the corona pandemic. While Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens) still want to wait, the FDP is pushing for a quick opening.
Now the chairman of the Prime Ministers’ Conference, North Rhine-Westphalia’s Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU), is warning of the imminent end of the corona measures. In order to be able to enter a “new phase of the pandemic”, “basic protection to ensure more normality” is still necessary, he writes in an article for the Handelsblatt, i.e. wear a mask and keep your distance. However, the Bundestag must act for this, because according to the Infection Protection Act, the basis for these measures will otherwise cease to exist on March 19th.
According to an Insa survey, for the first time in a long time there is a majority in the population that is in favor of opening steps: According to an Insa survey commissioned by “Bild am Sonntag”, 49 percent are in favor of easing, 44 percent are against. When asked about the usefulness of individual measures, 53 percent stated that they no longer found the 2G rules in retail useful – 42 are of the opposite opinion. Contact restrictions for the vaccinated would be abolished by 66 percent and retained by 27 percent. 49 percent no longer find 2G-Plus in gastronomy useful – but almost as many make sense.
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) expects the current corona wave to peak at the end of February. The numbers are currently rising sharply: According to the RKI, the seven-day incidence has exceeded the threshold of 1400 for the first time. Experts assume that the actual value is even higher because of the overloaded health authorities and test laboratories.
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The number of corona-infected patients admitted to clinics per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days has climbed from 5.00 to 5.45 since Thursday. The number of deaths with Corona, on the other hand, fell from 59 to 41 within a week.
“Recognized scientific luminary”
In the dispute over the role of RKI boss Lothar Wieler, after the Greens and the Chancellor, the Union has now also sided with him. Although the RKI must improve its communication, said Deputy Chairman Sepp Müller (CDU) of the editorial network Germany – “regardless of this, Professor Wieler is a proven scientific luminary, which we respect and support from the Union”.
>> Read here: Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst on the opening steps
However, it is “quite questionable how the coalition partners deal with each other,” said Müller, referring to the Liberals. Wieler had questioned their designated Secretary General Bijan Djir-Sarai because the RKI had reduced the recovered status from six to three months, surprising many citizens.
In the debate about the Corona aid, Economics Minister Habeck reiterated his promise to grant it for a longer period of time if necessary: “Should it be necessary to extend it again to ensure the survival of hard-hit companies, then we will do it and then we will the necessary funds are available.”
In an interview with the Handelsblatt, the head of the bookstore chain Thalia, Michael Busch, calls for more financial support: if politicians demand “a special sacrifice” from retailers, they must compensate for an appropriate part of the damage caused. His company loses 15 to 20 percent of sales due to the 2G rule. That is “the death zone”, because state aid is only available if sales drop by 30 percent.
More: Read the interview with the head of Thalia here