Status: 03/27/2021 7:00 a.m.
Until late in the evening, the state government discussed the new Corona rules on Friday with representatives from trade unions, municipalities, social associations and business – without any result. The talks will continue today at noon.
The state government of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is continuing its deliberations today on how to proceed in the corona pandemic and the implementation of the federal-state resolutions. The so-called MV summit, which was interrupted on Friday evening after around six hours, is to continue at 12 noon. The main topic of the summit is how the third wave can be broken. The containment of the British mutation, which is believed to be significantly more contagious, dangerous and deadly than the virus of origin, plays a major role in this. But help for those industries that are particularly hard hit by the lockdown must also be discussed. Above all, the calls from the tourism industry had recently become much louder – especially in view of the 44 million euro loan for the MV shipyards that was decided on Thursday.
No easing until Easter
The district of Ludwigslust Parchim, for example, is a high-risk area with an incidence of over 150. Around 80 percent of all cases there are due to the British mutant, according to District Administrator Stefan Sternberg (SPD). Therefore, all easing will be off the table by Easter. Hotels, restaurants or cafes will remain closed. Even state leader Rostock threatens to exceed the 50 incidence threshold in the foreseeable future. Doctors warn of an overload of the health system. Schwerin’s Lord Mayor Rico Badenschier (SPD) also spoke out against weakening the existing regulations of the corona traffic light and further openings. “We should stick to the agreed rules and not change them again and again in order to serve certain interests,” said Badenschier. The strategy of enabling opening steps with unsystematic quick citizen tests is “highly dangerous and clearly the wrong way.” The head of DGB-Nord, Ingo Schlueter, also spoke out against loosening.
After Easter: openings in model regions?
After Easter, there must be more joy in experimenting, said CDU parliamentary group leader Wolfgang Waldmüller on Thursday in the state parliament. Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) considered model projects in certain regions with low case numbers – for example in Rostock. It would be conceivable that the outdoor catering is allowed to open there. The head of government relied primarily on rapid tests, but also on more vaccinations. However, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is currently in penultimate place in the vaccination statistics in a national comparison.
IHK: All of MV as a model region for openings
The three chambers of industry and commerce (IHK) in the country also called for clear concepts and opening strategies after the Easter weekend. Among other things, the chambers want the whole of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania to become a model region. The model should be the city of Rostock, where, for example, the Volkstheater reopens with a test strategy. Retail, catering and the hotel industry should benefit from this. If the Saarland can do that, then Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania can do it all the more, said the President of the Rostock Chamber of Commerce, Klaus-Jürgen Strupp. For inbound tourists, he brought large test centers in motorway parking lots into play. The Prime Minister had promised them a special MV path, which they would now demand, affirmed the three chamber presidents who met in Schwerin before the MV summit.
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