D.he executive Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) has sharply criticized the traffic light parties’ departure from the epidemic emergency with a view to the current corona situation. “Even if there is no longer a legal majority for the extension of the epidemic emergency of national scope, there can be no doubt for me that we are in the middle of such an emergency,” said Merkel on Wednesday in a video link at the general meeting of the German Association of Cities.
“The current pandemic situation in Germany is dramatic. The fourth wave hits our country with full force, “warned the Chancellor in her speech with a view to the high number of new infections and deaths as well as the rapidly increasing occupancy of the intensive care units. The best possible health care for all sick people, including those with other illnesses, is “currently no longer possible in the districts most severely affected by Corona”.
Merkel for threshold value in the hospitalization index
Merkel therefore demanded specific resolutions from the top-level meeting of the federal and state governments planned for this Thursday. “I’m finally saying, because the meeting is overdue,” she criticized the delays in convening it, particularly because of resistance on the part of the SPD. “The virus does not care at all whether Germany is currently in a phase with the executive federal government, which I lead, and negotiations about the formation of a new federal government,” said the Chancellor.
Specifically, it required the decision-makers in the federal and state governments to set a threshold value for the so-called hospitalization index, “from which additional binding measures must be initiated”. Without such a threshold, the index, which provides information on hospital admissions based on population size, remains “a toothless tiger”. “It would be a disaster if we only act when the intensive care units are full,” Merkel warned against further hesitation.
SPD, Greens and FDP want a new infection protection law
Merkel also called for more efforts to “make urgent progress with vaccination”. “A national effort” is now also required for the upcoming booster vaccinations. All of this is necessary “so that we can survive the very difficult weeks ahead of us halfway lightly”.
The SPD, Greens and FDP do not want to prolong the epidemic emergency. Instead, a new Infection Protection Act is to be passed this Thursday, which also provides for additional protective measures such as 3G in public transport, but no longer allows measures that were previously applied, such as exit restrictions or general closings of shops or schools. However, Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) had also spoken out in favor of an end to the epidemic emergency.
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