Soon it will be called again: more lockdown or relaxation? In the meantime, an opening strategy should have been developed in Berlin. Merkel and the federal states do not want to rush anything.
Munich – Temperatures are rising, the number of infections is stagnating at a relatively low level – these are two reasons to think about easing soon. Even if Berlin – this time in the person of Chancellery chief Helge Braun * – apparently continues to slow down, there should already be concrete plans for the process of waking up from corona-related hibernation.
However, it is very likely that Germany will not be torn from its twilight state suddenly. Rather, Chancellor Angela Merkel * wants to proceed slowly and cautiously. The Corona * policy of small steps remains – like the inoculation of the various vaccines.
Merkel’s corona strategy: three strands stand for themselves when it comes to easing
Of the Business Insider reports, referring to participants at a meeting of the CDU * Presidium, that Merkel wants to consider three different strands of the easing: On the one hand, personal contacts, along with schools and vocational schools, as well as sports, restaurants and culture. These different packages would each be lashed together. It also means that sports facilities, restaurants and museums, for example, are only allowed to open together.
Merkel and the country leaders are said to have moved somewhat surprisingly away from a step-by-step plan based solely on the incidence values reported by the Robert Koch Institute *. Of the Business Insider wants to find out about a multi-page confidential key issues paper from federal-state consultations of the past weeks. Accordingly, with an incidence value of less than 35 – the new super number * since the move away from 50 – every two weeks, opening steps are being considered.
Merkel’s corona strategy: every two weeks with an incidence below 35, further easing beckons
In view of the spread of mutants *, that sounds like a Herculean task; even lower incidence levels were evidently unmasked as a dream. The condition for every further easing step should be that the incidence value * is below 35 for a further 14 days or that the trend continues to decrease.
In addition, the R-value * – i.e. how many people does an infected person infect? -, the intensive care bed utilization or the vaccination progress are taken into account. All in all, this means no guarantee that extensive loosening will be imminent. This would be a major change in current strategy.
A fearful view of the country: Angela Merkel is facing the toughest months of her chancellorship.
© Annegret Hilse / afp
Merkel’s Corona strategy: In addition to the mask requirement and distance rules, there are also rapid tests
In any case, a so-called “yo-yo effect” should be prevented, which would result in renewed tightening of the measures if the number of infections rises again. Therefore, the mask requirement * and distance rules should continue to apply in any case, in addition named reservation systems and quick tests for personal use. The primary goal is: chains of infection must be traceable at all times.
The relaxation in small steps could, according to information from Business Insider For private contacts look like this: If the incidence value falls below 35, five people from two households are allowed to meet again, after a further 14 days, if the incidence does not increase, ten people from three households could meet, and another two weeks later it would be ten people without household restrictions before, ideally, personal contacts could be allowed again without any restrictions 14 days later.
Merkel’s corona strategy: restaurants and hotels have to be patient for at least two or three weeks longer
Restaurants should only be allowed to serve on-site again, even if the incidence remains below the magical 35 14 days after the retail trade has opened and personal contacts have been relaxed. However, restrictions are planned: Initially, only four people from two households may be fed, and there will be a curfew. The number of guests could then slowly increase with the appropriate development, the curfew could be postponed and finally be eliminated entirely.
Hotels have to wait a little longer. Tourist overnight stays should only be allowed if the 35 is not skipped three weeks after the first easing. There should also be a step-by-step development towards normal operation in retail. Shops with at least 800 square meters are likely to be allowed to open earlier because customers can spread out better. The restrictions such as the number of customers per square meter could gradually be handled more loosely and ultimately no longer apply.
The cautious plans reveal that the catering and hotel industries are very dependent on how successfully the first easing measures take effect and how disciplined the restrictions still in force are followed. Appeal and hope may help. And also pray in some places. However, the strategy is unlikely to generate any joy in these industries.
Merkel’s Corona strategy: Chancellor recognizes “corrected longing” for openings
At the party leadership meeting, Merkel spoke of a “justified longing” for an opening strategy. The outgoing Chancellor * also seems to have become aware that in the second year of the pandemic and almost four months in the renewed lockdown, the headwind could soon reach hurricane strength with no prospect of an imminent improvement.
Precisely because some measures only shake the head and more and more citizens are worried about existential fears. In addition: In January – as government advisers had shown the participants of the Corona summit – people were on the move again more than in November and December. This development will hardly be reversed in spring. Last weekend was a harbinger of this.
Merkel’s corona strategy: a little more leash on the way to the old normal
The corona annoyance could now be counteracted by politics throwing the people one or the other bones. A little more leash could then result in the citizens throwing themselves more into the small, regained joys and less striving for the large radius of movement.
But it is also clear: everything in good time. It will be months before the return to pre-corona normality. (mg) * merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network
List of rubric lists: © Annegret Hilse / afp
