Lockdown in Germany: The Chancellor expects the tough measures to be extended for another two months. She said that internally, our editorial team learned.
- How long will Germany be in lockdown?
- Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke internally about extending the measures.
- Statements from the Union parliamentary group meeting confirmed participants of our editorial team.
Update from January 13th, 11:02 am: Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke on Tuesday in an internal parliamentary group meeting of the Union about the Corona course for the next few weeks. In addition to the statements about an extension of the measures (see first report) should the CDU politician also on the location in the Retirement and nursing homes have expressed.
As the picture reported, said the 66-year-old that the situation on site “also saddened me very much.” The Chancellor made it clear that the federal government had “theoretically prepared everything” so that that virus disappears from the homes or does not even get there (corona tests, vaccinations).
But in the end, “a lot of things did not go as ideally as I would have liked”. The associated criticism of the political decisions taken by the government is part of “honesty”. In this context, Merkel is said to have spoken of “incomplete practical implementation” and an “oppressive” situation. About Merkel’s warning also reports msl24.de *.
FFP2 mask requirement: vote on what you think of it
Corona: Focus on nursing homes – 89 percent of Covid deaths in Germany older than 70
The protection of the vulnerable groups in the homes continues to be a top priority for politics. Because a large number of the more than 41,000 corona deaths in the country can be traced back to residents of these accommodations. in the Status report of the Robert Koch Institute from Tuesday (January 12) it says: “The number of deceased cases was particularly high among those cared for in facilities according to §§ 23 and 36 IfSG.” These facilities include hospitals and homeless shelters as well as old people’s and nursing homes.
Also worrying: “With reporting week 37, the proportion of outbreaks in old people’s and nursing homes increases continuously and significantly. Over 65,000 cases have been reported in this setting since then. Outbreaks in this setting are also usually larger. “Since the end of November,” the number of cases in nursing homes represents the largest proportion of outbreak situations. ”
That the residents of Retirement and nursing homes are particularly at risk is mainly due to their old age. People older than 70 make up 89 percent of the corona deaths in Germany (an average of 84 years). With this in mind, the Chancellor’s drastic words can be understood as a warning – as well as an urgent appeal to improve the situation in old people’s and nursing homes. That yourself Merkel apparently not out of responsibility (“That is part of honesty”), shows how serious it seems to be.
Corona: Merkel makes worrying statement about the possible end of the lockdown – Lindner: “Not responsible”
First report from January 12th: Berlin – shops closed, restaurants closed, schools closed – and little hope for improvement: Politicians are apparently planning the one that began in November Lockdown to go through for many more weeks. Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) made it clear in a round with Union politicians that it could not be relaxed at the end of January. She warned in clear words of a new danger from the mutation of the corona virus, which is apparently causing the number of infections to rise sharply in the British Isles.
Merkel reckons internally with a tenfold incidence by Easter: Will the corona lockdown not end for a good two months?
“If we don’t manage to stop this British virus, we’ll have a ten-fold incidence by Easter,” said Merkel von picture from the internal round of Union internal politicians quoted. That’s what she said, participants in our editorial team confirmed. “It will be tough until Easter,” the news agency also quoted a statement by Merkel from the meeting. Fractional groups tried to make it clear that Merkel had not explicitly spoken of an unchanged extension of the lockdown.
The Chancellor’s concern is apparently that the British mutation is no more deadly than the virus that dominates the rest of Europe, but it is a lot more contagious. In the end, this would lead to significantly more infections and much more stressful clinics. Merkel’s drastic conclusion in the one-hour video conference on Tuesday morning: “We need eight to ten weeks of tough measures.” Only then will it relax Towards Easter possible, even with the then warmer weather.
Merkel warns of months of corona lockdown – Vice Chancellor is also preparing for an extension
Merkel has already officially prepared the citizens for tough weeks – most recently on Saturday in her weekly podcast. The from Federal and state The measures that have now been extended and in some cases tightened are drastic, the restrictions tough, but also “absolutely necessary,” she said. Experts see things differently: The virologist Alexander Kekulé, for example, reprimanded a “concrete slab” policy on Monday evening on ARD and even warned of a lockdown “until June or July”, as in Merkur.de* can be read. However, he also mentioned alternatives.
However, the federal government has not yet specified a specific time horizon for an end to the restrictions. Chancellor and Prime Minister want on January 25th the current development of pandemic reevaluate. Resolutions on how to proceed should be made on February 1st.
Several statements in the last few days indicate an extension. Also Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) had made it clear that the situation was not expected to ease in February. He also referred to the British mutation, which is currently leading to skyrocketing case numbers in Great Britain and Ireland. The “basic motto” for the near future must be “stay at home”, he said on Tuesday.
Corona lockdown: Federal and state governments meet again at the end of January – Merkel criticism from Bavaria
Likewise is Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) on Tuesday in the tenor of a further extension of the Corona lockdowns agreed: “It is not said that the tightened lockdown will end in January Covid-19 has pushed back so far that we can loosen it up again, ”said Scholz New Osnabrück newspaper. “Anyone who promises that now is acting frivolously and destroys trust.” The Vice Chancellor also referred to the “aggressive Mutations“Of the pathogen.
Scholz also warned urgently “against the mistaken assumption” that the virus is only dangerous for high-risk patients. Nobody is before Corona risk immune. “We only survived when large parts of the population have been vaccinated.” Isolating certain “vulnerable” groups would lead “astray”, the Vice Chancellor was convinced. The few countries that have taken this route have “paid bitterly for it and have since turned around”.
From Bavaria, on the other hand, came very direct criticism of Merkel’s statement: Söder’s deputy Hubert Aiwanger (Free voters) complained Twitterthat it does not take “primarily tough measures” for eight to ten weeks, but “effective measures”. He cited the use of as an example FFP2 masks “Where people outside the family come together” – for example when shopping. This is exactly what Söder had announced shortly before as the upcoming mandatory measure for Bavaria.
Corona lockdown until Easter? FDP boss Lindner criticizes Merkel’s statement – “not responsible”
Among the critics are FDP leader Christian Lindner and Left parliamentary group leader Dietmar Bartsch. Bartsch warned that there should not be an endless loop and called for a “transparent debate” in the Bundestag. Lindner made it clear that he considered the prospect of a further ten weeks with the current measures to be “irresponsible”. The social and economic damage increased every day. Instead, he called for a step-by-step plan of how the country could be restarted step by step regionally.
Union faction leader Ralph Brinkhaus (CDU), however, did not rule out tougher rules. If it was necessary, he was in favor of “sharpening” the measures again, said Brinkhaus. Nobody could say whether that Lockdown still “eight, ten or twelve weeks” last. (cd / fn) *Merkur.de and msl24.de are part of the Ippen-Digital network.
List of rubric lists: © John Macdougall / dpa
