The continued high number of infections and an acceleration in the number of infections caused by mutations in the corona virus make it indispensable to extend the corona measures of the past few weeks until the end of January, and to tighten them up in some cases.
Despite the lockdown in December, the daily new infections are still at a high level. In Baden-Württemberg, the 7-day incidence, at a good 124, is still well above the target of 50. In addition, the figures are currently only very limited in estimating the actual infection rate at the beginning of the year.
Due to the numerous public holidays, there have been delays in testing and reporting. The effects of travel and visiting behavior on the holidays will only be reflected in the figures in the coming days. It can therefore be assumed that the figures do not reflect the real events enough. The burden on the health system has continued to increase.
“We all started the new year rightly with a lot of hope, because the start of vaccinations gives us an important perspective,” said Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann after the deliberations of the federal and state governments on extending the lockdown. “At the same time, we now have to go on with a lot of realism, because we are not over the mountain yet.”
There are also worrying reports of mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, such as the current one from Great Britain, South Africa and Denmark. This shows that new, significantly more contagious variants are rampant. This means that the virus is spreading faster and faster. With increasing infections, the number of serious and fatal courses also increases sharply. The health system would then exceed its limits even faster.
There is still a difficult stretch ahead of us
“There is still a difficult road ahead of us, probably the most difficult of the whole pandemic,” said the Prime Minister. “You have to be prepared for that, because the framework conditions remain unfavorable. Our life continues to take place indoors. The vaccinations will only develop their general protective effect in a few months. We have to be prepared to deal with a new, aggressive virus mutation. And the medical and nursing staff are now at their limits. The intensive care units have never been as full as in the past few days. And never before have so many people died of Corona within a month as in the last month. “
The aim of the measures is to continue to lower the 7-day incidence to below 50 in a stable manner. In this way, the health authorities can trace infection chains again and consistently order quarantine for contact persons.
When assessing the situation, we not only consider the 7-day incidence, but also other important factors such as vaccination progress, the doubling time and the reproductive values.
Under these conditions, the federal and state governments have basically agreed on the following today:
- The existing measures will be extended until January 31, 2021. The exit restrictions remain in place in Baden-Württemberg.
- Private get-togethers are only possible within your own household and at most with one other person who does not belong to your own household. Unlike in previous weeks, children under 14 are counted.
- The operation of day-care centers and schools is extremely important for the education of children and the compatibility of family and work. Restrictions in school operations are not without consequences for the education and social participation of children and young people. Nonetheless, the measures taken by the federal states must also be extended to the end of January in this area. For Baden-Württemberg this means: There will be no face-to-face classes for all secondary school students until the end of January. Special rules are possible for the final classes. At first there are no face-to-face classes in primary schools either. There the children learn with materials. The daycare centers will initially remain closed. However, our goal is to reopen daycare centers and primary schools from January 18th. The prerequisite is that we have clarity about the number of infections in the coming week and that the pandemic development allows.
- Canteens are closed to the public. Food should only be served for consumption outside the canteen, provided that operational processes permit.
- Employers are urgently asked to create generous home office options in order to be able to implement the principle “We stay at home” nationwide.
- The federal government will regulate by law that child sickness benefit is granted for ten additional days per parent or 20 days for single parents in 2021. The entitlement should also apply to childcare at home when daycare centers and schools are closed due to the pandemic.
- Additional local measures are to be taken in counties with a 7-day incidence of more than 200. So the radius of movement should be limited to 15 kilometers around one’s own place of residence, unless there is a valid reason. Baden-Württemberg is currently not planning to implement this, as the state is initially reviewing the implementation and controllability of the regulation.
- Elderly and nursing homes are responsible for ensuring the comprehensive implementation of the federal test arrangement. This includes that residents and employees must be tested several times a week using a quick test. Visitors from regions with an increased incidence must also be tested using a rapid test before entering the facility. The federal and state governments provide the institutions with greater organizational support. This applies to facilities for disabled people.
- The entry of mutations that aggravate the pandemic, such as variant B.1.1.7 from Great Britain, must be curbed as much as possible. For this reason, the genetic makeup of the virus is to be increasingly sequenced in samples in Germany in order to detect mutations and to prevent the spread in the germ through prioritized tracking and quarantine. When entering from areas where such mutations are widespread, the Federal Police will increasingly monitor compliance with the entry regulations. The federal states ensure that compliance with the quarantine is also closely monitored.
- When entering the Federal Republic of Germany from a risk area, an obligation to test should be introduced. The test can take place 48 hours before entry or immediately after entry. The ten-day quarantine obligation remains in effect and can only be ended with a negative PCR test after five days at the earliest.
- The full payment of November aid begins on January 10, 2021. Applications for December aid have been possible since mid-December and the first installments have already been made. In the case of bridging aid III, payments on account should be possible. Regular payments should be made in the 1st quarter of 2021.
Even small changes in behavior have a big impact
“The consequences of the pandemic can only be controlled if the number of cases is low,” Kretschmann said in his statement. “Science is in agreement on this, and we were also in agreement on this during our deliberations. It still depends on us all. The more we adhere to the restrictions, the fewer contacts we have, the more cautious we are, the faster the number of infections will drop and the sooner we can consider possible easing. Even small changes in behavior have a big impact. Whether we reduce our contacts only a little or significantly decides whether we can achieve the goal of low infection rates in a few weeks or in months. “
The fundamental decisions taken today by the federal and state governments will now be incorporated in detail into the Corona ordinances of the state of Baden-Württemberg in the coming days. The Council of Ministers of the state government is now coordinating how the individual points will be designed in Baden-Württemberg. The new Corona regulation is to be published at the end of this week.
Regardless of today’s resolutions, Baden-Württemberg has decided to allow pick-up offers in stores again from January 11, 2021. The Corona regulation will be adapted so that the so-called “Click & Collect-Service” is possible again. Customers can order goods from a retailer online or by phone, arrange a pick-up date and pick up the goods themselves. Baden-Württemberg had forbidden this due to the expected large crowd during the Christmas season.
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