Lauterbach near Maischberger
“I don’t use the term Freedom Day”
By Marko Schlichting
2/17/2022 3:21 am
It’s all over on March 20th, at least almost and for the time being. According to the Prime Ministers’ Conference, most of the measures should be completed by then. Corona is by no means a thing of the past, emphasizes Federal Minister of Health Lauterbach at Sandra Maischberger. The virus will probably keep Germany busy for years to come.
The relief was palpable, with many prime ministers, even with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, it could be guessed. In the afternoon it was clear: the exit from the Corona measures can begin. By March 20th, most of the restrictions that the Corona crisis has brought with it are to be lifted. Then come the planning for the fall. Because the crisis is not over yet, emphasized Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach on Wednesday evening with Sandra Maischberger on ARD. “I believe that we will have to deal with COVID for another ten years, but with decreasing intensity,” said the minister.
“No increasing incidence values”
Despite the agreed three-stage plan, Lauterbach does not want to talk about a Freedom Day. “I don’t use that term and I don’t think it’s appropriate,” he says. The measures would work, but not for everyone. For some there will never be full freedom. “The world will no longer be what it was before the pandemic,” says Lauterbach.
There will be no increasing incidence values for the time being, explains the minister and refers to a corresponding study by the Robert Koch Institute. The measures taken so far have made sense. They would have led to contacts being reduced. The problem, however, is that there are still too few people vaccinated. According to Lauterbach, children and young people in particular are currently being vaccinated. “You have to say that the young people are more reasonable than the adults.”
“Fourth vaccination may be needed”
It is important for the minister that vaccination is mandatory by autumn at the latest. He suggests that the two groups that call for compulsory vaccination for adults aged 18 and over and 50 and over should get together. The Ministry of Health has given technical support to both applications and Lauterbach believes that a compromise could be reached.
According to Lauterbach, anyone who is boosted now does not need to be afraid. “We know that the basic vaccination leaves such a good vaccination protection that all corona variants that we know so far are well covered.” However, Lauterbach limits: “A fourth vaccination may be necessary if I do not want to get infected with a new wave.”
“These are highly political decisions”
Lauterbach wants to hold on to RKI President Wieler. He has his full confidence, says the minister. Wieler will still be in office in the summer, he assumes that. Nevertheless, he has again withdrawn the RKI’s sovereignty over far-reaching decisions. In mid-January, the Robert Koch Institute reduced the duration of the convalescent status from three to six months without informing Lauterbach. The decision was correct, “but I think it’s right that the responsible minister first sees something like this, evaluates it and then communicates it.” Lauterbach is now attracting something that he calls “highly political decisions”. “It has to be with the minister,” he says.