Thursday, December 02, 2021
Fight against fourth wave
Lauterbach names five effective measures
Before representatives of the federal and state governments meet again, Karl Lauterbach formulates a catalog of measures that, in his opinion, could break the fourth wave. Germany is in a “deep pandemic crisis,” says the health politician.
SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach has called for significantly stricter measures to break the fourth corona wave before the Prime Minister’s Conference (MPK) due this morning. “Despite the slight decrease in the number of infections, the country is in a deep pandemic crisis with far too many deaths, which will continue for many weeks. Therefore, in my opinion, five effective measures are needed as a decision by the federal and state governments this Thursday,” said Lauterbach Düsseldorf “Rheinische Post”.
“Firstly, all pupils have to wear masks in class until the Christmas holidays and have themselves tested daily in school,” explained Lauterbach. “Second, the number of people who have not been vaccinated should be greatly reduced nationwide, preferably to just one person outside of their own household.” Thirdly, 2G rules are needed across the board in public life, including in retail, said Lauterbach. “But because 25 percent of infections are passed on by fully vaccinated people, 2G plus should be compulsory in restaurants, for example,” said the SPD politician.
Fourth, all bars, clubs and discos should close immediately until the fourth wave is over. “And fifth, all hospitals in Germany should switch to emergency operation immediately and postpone all operations that can be planned in order to keep enough capacity free for corona patients and emergencies,” said the Social Democrat.
“Don’t do things by halves”
“The situation is serious,” said Lauterbach’s party colleague Manuela Schwesig. The head of government of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania told the newspapers of the editorial network Germany (RND): “We need clear and uniform rules in Germany.” According to Schwesig, this includes, for example, “uniform contact restrictions”.
The Rhineland-Palatinate Prime Minister Malu Dreyer told the RND that the pandemic is hitting all of Germany hard. “It is therefore important, in an act of national solidarity, to work together to ensure that the number of infections falls and that our entire health system is relieved.” The SPD politician said that she expected uniform federal regulations for “the regulation of major events and the rules for the retail trade.” “There shouldn’t be pictures full of Bundesliga stadiums like on the weekend in the remaining Bundesliga match days.”
North Rhine-Westphalia Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst demanded consistent decisions in the fight against the dramatically high numbers before the Bund-Länder-Round. “We are not allowed to do things by halves in the Prime Minister’s Conference today, we have to resolutely break the fourth wave,” said the current chairman of the MPK. “To do this, the countries need the tried and tested toolkit for fighting pandemics.” He is also grateful that the likely successor to Angela Merkel in the Chancellery, Olaf Scholz, has promised to improve the Infection Protection Act again noticeably. “But that has to be done consistently now.”