Marie Lisa Kehler
Deputy head of the regional section of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
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Despite the sharp increase in the number of infections, no new corona specifications are planned in Hesse. There are no tightening, said Prime Minister Volker Bouffier (CDU) on Monday evening in Wiesbaden after the end of the federal-state consultations, according to the dpa. However, since it is not yet possible to estimate how the corona situation will develop, the current specifications remain. The head of government emphasized that the existing course will be maintained, and that caution must be exercised further. According to Bouffier, the Corona regulation currently in force in Hesse applies until February 12.
“Hesse’s economy welcomes the fact that the existing requirements are not being tightened.” But the only vague announcements of openings are bad news for many companies. Changes only at the end of February or beginning of March would come too late for them. “The longer 2G lasts in retail and 2G-Plus in the hospitality industry, the more serious the economic consequences,” says an initial reaction from the Hessian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Data transfer problems
Meanwhile, there is interesting news from Frankfurt University: A new study by scientists from Goethe University and the University of Kent shows that the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant is less good at cellular defense mechanisms (“the interferon response”) against viruses can block than the Delta variant. In addition, cell culture data suggest that eight key anti-COVID-19 agents also inhibit proliferation of the omicron variant.
The cities and districts with a four-digit incidence are Wiesbaden, Darmstadt, Offenbach and Frankfurt as well as the districts of Darmstadt-Dieburg, Hochtaunus and Main-Taunus. In Wiesbaden and Darmstadt, the key figure fell overnight, while in Frankfurt it rose. The value for the Main metropolis is the fifth highest in Hesse, after the city had reported by far the most new infections within seven days among 100,000 inhabitants by the middle of last week. The education and science union is concerned about the situation in schools.
Regardless, the following should be considered: In Frankfurt, the incidence is likely to be significantly higher than indicated by the RKI. The reason for this is still a problem with the RKI reporting software Surfnet, according to the health department. After an update, according to a spokesman for the office, problems arose in several health authorities, which made it difficult to report the data. A solution to the problem is being worked on at full speed. However, the spokesman continued, the reporting program that the RKI works with is outdated and was never designed for so many offices nationwide to access it at the same time.
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