The infection numbers are still high. But the FDP is drumming for its as-good-as-survived course. On Wednesday, the federal and state governments will discuss how to proceed.
Berlin – Before the Corona summit of the federal and state governments on Wednesday, the FDP is pushing for quick and noticeable easing. After the consultation of the heads of government with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), there must be a “noticeable difference in our everyday life”, said party leader Christian Lindner of the “Bild am Sonntag” (“BamS”).
“It is clear that you can be too bold when opening. However, this danger is now extremely manageable. ”The municipalities want at least a concrete, uniform plan for openings. “After more than two years of the corona pandemic, people and the economy finally want a signal of hope,” said the general manager of the Association of Towns and Municipalities, Gerd Landsberg, to the newspapers of the Funke media group.
Omicron diseases less severe in many
First of all, access restrictions in retail should fall nationwide. “In addition, simplifications should be specified nationwide, especially for young people and at sporting events,” Landsberg demanded. He explained that the peak of the omicron wave was expected in a few days and that there were no signs that hospitals would be overwhelmed. “Of course, distances and the FFP2 mask must continue to be prescribed.”
What is certain is that despite the extreme situation of more than 200,000 new infections a day, the heads of government will draw up an opening plan – because omicron diseases are less severe for many than the variants that used to be prevalent. It is questionable how quickly and in what steps openings will come and whether the Infection Protection Act, which is limited to March 19, should be extended as a precautionary measure as the basis for the protective measures. At the urging of the FDP, the traffic light coalition had already reduced the range of protective instruments at the beginning of the fourth wave and then had to make adjustments in view of the infection situation getting out of control.
FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr is now pushing for all measures to be lifted on March 19. “And so that this doesn’t happen all at once, we should start taking the first restrictions step by step right now,” he told BamS.
The SPD states and also Economics Minister Robert Habeck from the Greens seem to be aiming for easing and extending the legal basis for the measures. Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD), who urged caution, had also spoken out in favor of developing opening perspectives.
Buschmann doubts model calculations
Lauterbach told the “Spiegel” with regard to the current protective measures: “We save 100 to 150 lives a day.” Referring to opening steps in Israel and the infection situation there then got out of hand, he had warned that in Germany there would then be 400 up to 500 deaths a day instead of 100 to 150 at the moment.
Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann (FDP) doubts such model calculations. “We shouldn’t scare people any more than is appropriate. Many have been in a very stressful situation for two years. You don’t have to increase the stress,” he told the “Tagesspiegel am Sonntag”.
The member of the government’s Corona Expert Council, Christian Karagiannidis, who heads the Divi intensive care register, meanwhile called for preparations for another corona wave in autumn and also for a new testing strategy. At the editorial network Germany, he suggests “no longer testing for suspicion in autumn, but only offering tests for vulnerable groups and people with corona symptoms”. In addition, there should be waste water screenings and monitoring of patients with respiratory infections. “It is already clear that we will need masks again in autumn and winter, at least to protect the chronically ill.” dpa
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