Thursday, November 18, 2021
Plans in the drawer
Saxony is considering lockdown for everyone
Saxony has the highest seven-day incidence in Germany. The state government is now considering tough measures, including a lockdown with closings of bars and a ban on major events. The rules could last until mid-December if they are put in place.
According to media reports, Saxony is probably the first federal state to think about a far-reaching lockdown in the fourth corona wave. It is therefore about the closure of leisure facilities and a ban on major events. A member of the state government confirmed the deliberations to ntv.
Corresponding plans for significantly stricter measures were discussed at an extraordinary meeting of the CDU parliamentary group on Wednesday evening, as the “Leipziger Volkszeitung” reported. According to the newspaper, Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer of the CDU advocated a complete closure of bars and discos and a general ban on major events.
Closures in the cultural and leisure sector are also being considered. It is still unclear whether restaurants can stay open. Christmas markets would probably also be affected by the ban on major events. According to the report, the new rules could apply from Monday and last three weeks.
Highest seven-day incidence
A final decision on this lockdown is still pending. Kretschmer had already announced stricter measures in his state. The corona situation in Saxony is dramatic. The country has by far the highest seven-day incidence in Germany. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) from the morning it is 761.4. Four Saxon districts have an incidence above 1000. At the same time, Saxony’s vaccination quota is in last place in a nationwide comparison.
In a discussion broadcast on the Internet, Kretschmer had previously spoken to RKI boss Lothar Wieler about the corona situation. Wieler described this in drastic terms. “We are currently in a serious emergency. We will really have a very bad Christmas if we do not take countermeasures now,” said the head of the authorities.
In the online event, the medical director of the university hospital, Michael Albrecht, called for a lockdown. “We have no other choice. The previous salami tactics only lead to us chasing developments without being able to weaken or even stop them,” he said.