Status: 22.03.2021 10:16 p.m.
Due to the increasing number of corona infections, the existing general shutdown in Germany is to be extended until April 18. The ARD capital studio learned this from several sources from ongoing consultations with the federal and state governments. Because of differences on the subject of travel and tourism, people have been speaking in smaller circles for hours.
Today’s video conference between the federal government and the prime ministers of the 16 federal states should start at 2 p.m., but it only began more than an hour later. Previously, the country leaders apparently had a great need for coordination on a resolution proposal for the joint talks. It was only quickly agreed that the lockdown must be extended beyond March 28th.
According to a draft decision paper, the implementation of the already at the last federal-state summit on March 3rd, discussed the “emergency brake” for openings of shops, museums or sports facilities that have already taken place in the event of high incidence values. According to information from the German Press Agency, there is agreement in the group that the “emergency brake” is an important mechanism for further containment of coronavirus infections. In view of the exponentially increasing infection dynamics, it must therefore be consistently implemented for further “incidence-dependent opening steps”. However, there are apparently different views as to whether it should apply at the state level or at the district level. The “emergency brakes” regulation provides that if there is a stable seven-day incidence of over 100 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants, the first easing of the past weeks – for example in retail – will be reversed. Many regions in Germany are currently above this limit – there are corresponding reactions to it – unlike in Hamburg – but still often not. Nationwide, the seven-day incidence value according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) was 107.3 on Monday, 103.9 on Sunday and 99.9 on Saturday.
Apparently no agreement for more contacts at Easter
Another topic of today’s deliberations is possible relaxation of the contact restrictions for visiting relatives during the upcoming Easter holidays. According to information from the German Press Agency from several sources, the federal and state governments did not find a consensus on this. The proposal to allow meetings with four people beyond their own household plus children up to the age of 14 from the closest family circle from April 2nd to 5th has therefore already been rejected.
Nocturnal exit restrictions, as proposed by the Chancellery in a draft resolution for regions with an incidence over 100, are at least controversial according to the “Business Insider” portal. However, the group has not yet made any official announcements. The topic of school and daycare openings is also being discussed again today.
Disputed topic of vacation – northerners with an extra proposal
The issues of travel and tourism are evidently the most controversial in the deliberations. Because of massive differences in the restrictions on Easter holidays, the large round of discussions were interrupted for several hours in the evening. In regional circles there was talk of an open conflict between Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and five states – Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as well as Saxony-Anhalt and Rhineland-Palatinate – which wanted to enable tourism in Germany under strict conditions. They suggest vacation in holiday apartments or houses, apartments or mobile homes, provided they have their own sanitary facilities and holidaymakers can also get food there. Even before the deliberations were interrupted, the five countries had apparently made it clear that they wanted to implement this concept even if there was no general agreement on it.
It is also questionable whether there can be a test and quarantine obligation for returning holidaymakers from non-risk areas. The federal government had the Balearic island of Mallorca a week ago from the list of risk areas deleted and the travel warning lifted due to the sharp drop in infection numbers. This also means that there is no longer any obligation to test or quarantine for returnees. Representatives of the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) are said to have explained during the deliberations that there is currently no legal possibility to stop trips to Mallorca. Meanwhile, according to the “Bild” newspaper, several airlines have agreed in principle to test the return travelers themselves.
Further openings may be possible in model projects
Despite the well-advanced vaccinations in old people’s and nursing homes, hygiene and test concepts should continue to be consistently implemented there, but two weeks after the second vaccination, the number of visits to the homes could be expanded again
The draft resolution so far does not provide for any major relaxation. All that is mentioned is that, as part of temporary model projects in a few selected regions with a low incidence, the federal states could test how, under strict conditions and with a test concept, individual areas of public life could be reopened. April 12th is named as the date for the next federal-state summit.
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