What can Germany expect from the omicron wave of the corona pandemic? Health Minister Lauterbach and RKI boss Wieler answered questions. The live ticker for PK on Friday.
- PK to Corona and Omicron*: Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) and RKI boss Lothar Wieler answered questions in Berlin.
- Lauterbach criticized the Robert Koch Institute* before the joint meeting – but also received harsh criticism himself. (see update from January 28, 8:26 a.m.).
- Follow the Federal press conference on Friday morning from 10 a.m here in the live ticker.
Update from January 28, 11:17 am: At the federal press conference on the current Corona situation, Health Minister Lauterbach assessed the situation in Germany with cautious optimism. “We currently have the omicron wave well under control,” said the SPD politician. However, one is “still before the zenith” of the wave.
RKI boss Wieler praised the discipline of the German population with regard to contact restrictions in everyday life. “The number of cases continues to rise massively. But not nearly as violent as it would be possible under Omicron,” he said. Now the main focus must be “on the burden of the disease and the severity of the disease”. The low incidence in the vulnerable groups is also positive.
Lauterbach also commented on recent disagreements between him and Wieler. After the RKI shortened the recovered status “overnight”, as the minister described it in the FAZ, Lauterbach complained. He was “not informed” about it. In the press conference with Wieler, on the other hand, he tried to calm things down. And called the process a “communication problem. The RKI boss has meanwhile refrained from making his own statement.
Corona PK from Lauterbach and Wieler
11:15 a.m.: The last question from the journalists has been asked. The federal press conference on the Corona situation with Health Minister Lauterbach and RKI boss Wieler has ended.
11.05 a.m.: Once again, a press representative wants to know whether the RKI and the Federal Ministry of Health are still working together harmoniously. The process around the shortened convalescent status comes up again. “Mr. Wieler did not act on his own authority,” confirms Lauterbach. There was only a “communication problem”. As before, the RKI boss does not comment on the process himself.
10:58 am: Lauterbach now explains why it’s not worth waiting for a special Omicron vaccine for the booster vaccination. Lauterbach points out that the vaccines that Biontech/Pfizer and Moderna are already working on are not expected until May. However, since people “now” need vaccination protection against omicron, vaccination with the existing vaccines is the better alternative. “The Omicron vaccine is coming. But it is no longer worth it if it comes at a time when the omicron wave has ended.”
Corona-PK in the live ticker: Lauterbach speaks of a “communication problem” with Wieler
10:51 am: Most recently, the RKI caused trouble with the uncommented change in the recovered status. Lauterbach described the quick implementation of the institute’s heave-off action (“overnight”) as unsolicited. Has this put a strain on his relationship with RKI boss Wieler? “First of all, you have to put the question of content in the foreground: Does that make sense?” says Lauterbach. This is the case, he basically agrees with the RKI boss. “In terms of content, we had an exchange at the technical level, there was no dissent between our house and the RKI.”
He knew that the status would be changed. “I was asked, ‘When will the recovered status change?’ not included,” adds Lauterbach. “I expected that to happen later. If I had known, I would of course have communicated it to the Federal Council on Friday. There was just a communication problem.” Lauterbach says he considers such a process “justifiable”.
10:43 am: Lauterbach found the vaccination debate in the Bundestag and outside it to be of “high quality in terms of content”. He adds that even FDP politician Wolfgang Kubicki – despite all the criticism of compulsory vaccination – is basically a supporter of the corona vaccination itself.
Corona-PK in the live ticker: Lauterbach is “not the minister, but the scientist” on one question
10:36 am: A journalist asks the health minister’s opinion on the recent school closures in Berlin. “School policy is largely state policy,” says Lauterbach. You only give tips and make sure that the omicron wave doesn’t get out of hand. Ultimately, this also helps the schools.
10:29 am: A press representative now asks Lauterbach how he classifies the sometimes conflicting rules of the individual federal states. The minister replies that you have to look at the respective figures. “I always have to put the objective in the foreground. Are we on the right path?” According to Lauterbach, he was “still not the minister, but the scientist”. “Who is still before the zenith of the wave,” he continues, criticizing the easing of other countries, such as Denmark.
10:22 a.m.: Now the journalists can ask their questions. First of all, it is about the future prioritization of the PCR tests. “We are in coordination with the federal states,” replies Lauterbach. In the next few weeks, a proposal will be put forward together with the countries. Lauterbach adds that absolute priority for tests should be given to employees of hospitals and nursing homes as well as seriously ill people. “If you use the antigen tests wisely, you can control the omicron wave well,” says the health minister.
Corona-PK in the live ticker: Wieler wants to keep a “cool head”.
10.15 a.m.: “Even if the proportion of infections caused by Omicron with severe courses is lower than with Delta, we have to expect more hospital admissions simply because of the sheer number of infected people,” warns Wieler. Due to the high number of cases, the “vulnerable groups” in particular have to be protected. Vaccinations also protect well at Omikron, which also protects critical infrastructures. “The sea is stormy and visibility is poor,” Wieler tries to use a metaphor. But now it is important to keep a “cool head”. This is how you will get through the pandemic.
10.11 a.m.: Now RKI boss Wieler speaks. “The number of cases continues to rise massively. But not nearly as violent as it would be possible under Omicron,” he says. 890,000 people had been infected within the last seven days. So almost one percent of the population. “We now have to look primarily at the burden of the disease and the severity of the disease.” In this way, the work of clinics can be ensured.
Corona-PK in the live ticker: Lauterbach appeals to unvaccinated people
10.08 am: Lauterbach appeals to all people who have not yet been able to get a corona vaccination. “Don’t wait for vaccines that are still in the trial phase,” he pleads with the undecided. The currently available vaccines from Biontech/Pfizer and Moderna are absolutely trustworthy and effective.
10.03 am: The health minister is the first of the trio to speak. “We currently have the omicron wave well under control in Germany,” he says. “We want to get through this wave with as few seriously ill and dead people as possible.” However, compared to other countries such as Great Britain or Italy, there is a lower vaccination rate among older, particularly vulnerable people. However, the incidence there is relatively low at 200 to 300.
10.00 a.m.: Now Lauterbach, Wieler and Karagiannidis step onto the podium. The press conference starts.
9.49 a.m.: The press conference on the current corona situation with Health Minister Lauterbach, RKI boss Wieler and Christian Karagiannidis from the Faculty of Health at Witten/Herdecke University will start in a few minutes.
Corona-PK in the live ticker: Lauterbach and Wieler answer questions from the press
Update from January 28, 8:26 a.m.: Health Minister Lauterbach (SPD), together with RKI boss Wieler, will provide information on the current situation of the corona pandemic at the federal press conference today, Friday. But in the run-up to the press conference, the mood is extremely tense. There was not only Zoff between Lauterbach and Wieler (see original notification)at the same time there is increasing criticism of the Minister of Health.
Before the federal press conference: sharp criticism of Lauterbach’s corona policy
The Mayor of Tübingen, Boris Palmer (Greens*), for example, criticizes the SPD* politician’s corona policy extremely sharply: “At the moment, many decisions are quite erratic. There is no scientific evidence to limit the recovered status to just three months. Karl Lauterbach otherwise attaches great importance to them,” he said in the podcast “Die Wochentester”. Cologne City Gazette and Editorial Network Germany. “When I read that, I thought it was a Russian fake bot.” Lauterbach insists, however, that the change makes sense from a scientific point of view.
Corona-PK in the live ticker: Criticism of the test strategy – “Think through the consequences to the end
However, Lauterbach also received criticism for the nationwide test strategy*. The SPD politician would like to set priorities here, especially with PCR tests. Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder* (CSU*) had already warned that the prioritization should not lead to a blind flight in which the incidence figures would lose their meaningfulness. Holetschek sees the Federal Health Minister Lauterbach as responsible here. “Anyone who makes laws must also think through the consequences and effects to the end,” he says.
You can follow the upcoming federal press conference live here from 10 a.m.
Original notification from January 27th: Munich/Berlin – Recently there was trouble between the years in the coronavirus pandemic * around the Robert Koch Institute and RKI boss Lothar Wieler. His authority had sent a tweet in which, shortly before one of the countless federal-state rounds, quick and rigorous measures to contain the omicron wave * were required. At that time, Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) demonstratively supported Wieler.
The Rhinelander did this at the so-called federal press conference, an association in Berlin that enables capital city journalists to question government officials and other important decision-makers on pressing issues. This Friday (January 28) Lauterbach and Wieler will meet again from 10 a.m. at this federal press conference in the government district. And again there is Zoff. The RKI had recently apparently uncoordinated reduced the status of those who had recovered from a corona infection from six to three months. But it was primarily the head of the Lauterbach department who received the political rebuke.
Federal press conference: Corona-PK with Karl Lauterbach and Lothar Wieler in the live ticker
Now there was the tit for tat. “I was not aware that the recovered status beyond the quarantine rules was reduced to three months almost overnight,” said the SPD man Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. However, he agrees with the technical assessment of the RKI.
Opposite to FOCUS Online His ministry also explained: “It was clear that those who had recovered would only be exempted from quarantine for three months. This was the subject of consultations between the federal and state governments. But that the recovered status then on Saturday, 15.1. was changed overall was not known to the minister (when he gave his speech in the Bundesrat).”
In the video: Karl Lauterbach wants a shortened convalescent status across Europe
On top of that. Lauterbach’s Ministry of Health made it clear: “In future, such decisions should no longer be published overnight by the RKI, but should be communicated to the federal states with a certain amount of advance notice.” Clear announcement in the direction of the Robert Koch Institute and Wieler.
Follow the federal press conference this Friday (from 10 a.m.) with Karl Lauterbach* and Lothar Wieler here in the live ticker. (pm) *Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA
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