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Lower Saxony: Prime Minister Weil shies away from corona conflict with OVG
All of Lower Saxony a corona hotspot? Prime Minister Weil fears defeat before the Higher Administrative Court – “We have to be able to present good arguments. Otherwise we can just leave it.”
Hanover. Lower Saxony’s Prime Minister Stephan Weil would like to declare his entire state a corona hotspot in order to be able to extend some corona rules beyond April 2nd. But his hands are tied by the Federal Infection Protection Act, said the SPD politician in an interview with the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” (NOZ).
“It would either need a particularly dangerous virus, which luckily we don’t have at the moment. Or the criterion of the impending overload of the health system would have to be met. But we don’t see that for the time being either,” said Weil, adding: “Sorry, but if I could, I would very much like to stick to the general obligation to wear masks in Lower Saxony, for example. But if you take a sober look at the text of the law, the current situation doesn’t give it that.”
The head of government admitted that he was reluctant because Lower Saxony has a sensitive Higher Administrative Court (OVG). Before the OVG in Lüneburg, the state had lost out several times in lawsuits against corona requirements and had to correct decisions. “Our OVG approaches the lawsuits critically, that’s perfectly fine. We have to be able to come up with good arguments. Otherwise we can just leave it alone,” emphasized Weil.
The state government continues to monitor the corona situation very closely. “We will not let anything go to waste either, but it makes no sense to go into a hopeless process now,” said the Prime Minister.
According to the federal infection law, there are hardly any corona protection measures, apart from the obligation to wear masks on buses and trains, as well as in hospitals and nursing homes. Many states, including Lower Saxony, are using the transitional period until April 2nd. After that, further corona requirements are only possible in so-called corona hotspots. “The hotspot rule in the Infection Protection Act sets the bar extremely high,” Weil complained.
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Original content from: Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, transmitted by news aktuell
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