Monday, February 08, 2021
Open before "incidence value of 50"
Trade association puts pressure on Merkel
The number of reported corona infections in Germany is falling. Nevertheless, the government has so far given little hope of easing the situation anytime soon. The trade association has no understanding for this and would like to open the shops as soon as possible – preferably before an incidence value of 50.
Before the Prime Minister's Conference with Chancellor Angela Merkel, the retail sector is calling for all shops to be opened as soon as possible. "Safe shopping is also possible under pandemic conditions," said the chief executive of the HDE trade association, Stefan Genth, of "Welt". Everyone should learn to live with the virus. "This includes openings before the incidence value of 50 is reached." Grocers and drugstores have been proving for months that this is possible if strict hygiene and distance rules are observed.
Genth expressed strong criticism of Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier, who on the weekend of the catering trade had promised that the restaurant would not open until the beginning of April for Easter. "That can not be the seriousness of the economics minister, I expect that he stands up for the interests of the economy," said Genth the "world". It is about the existence of thousands of companies. "Many businesses will not survive a lockdown until Easter." Until then, the previously sparse state aid would in no case be enough.
Genth welcomed step-by-step plans for an opening, as presented by some federal states. "We need clear statements as to when the measures will be reduced in compliance with strict hygiene and distance rules," said Genth of the newspaper. All possible scenarios would have to be used as a basis, not just a "worst case scenario with a strongly exponential increase in infection due to virus mutations".
According to the information, the HDE also formulated its demands in a letter to Merkel. The lockdown of entire economic sectors must "be replaced by an intelligent concept of targeted and regionally differentiated individual measures to effectively contain the virus," the newspaper quoted from the letter.
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