Proposal: Prefer MPK: Laschet wants “bridge lockdown” in April


Suggestion: prefer MPK
Laschet wants “bridge lockdown” in April

With a new proposal for the fight against the third corona wave, NRW Prime Minister Laschet has spoken: He calls for a hard and short “bridge lockdown” until many people are vaccinated. The necessary MPK with Merkel should be brought forward.

NRW Prime Minister Armin Laschet has spoken out in favor of a hard and short lockdown in April in view of the third corona wave. With such a “bridge lockdown”, the time had to be bridged until many people were vaccinated, said the CDU federal chairman after a visit to the vaccination center in the Aachen city region. Against this background, Laschet called for the round planned for April 12th between Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Prime Ministers (MPK) of the federal states to be brought forward to the next few days.

“If nothing happens, the numbers will continue to increase significantly,” warned Laschet, referring to the increase in infections. A new “bridge lockdown” must counteract this in order to reach a lower level, which can then be maintained through testing until more people are vaccinated. “The bridge to a resounding success in testing requires that we step up again in many areas and move towards lockdown,” said the Prime Minister.

“The situation is very dramatic, the infection rate must be contained,” said the President of the Association of Intensive Care Physicians, Gernot Marx, at the appointment with Laschet. According to the Divi intensive care register, the number of corona intensive care patients rose to 4144 by Monday. It should soon be 5000 or more, warned Marx.

CDU boss Laschet emphasized that he was in agreement with many Prime Ministers, the Chancellor and Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn in his assessment. More speed and clear decisions are now necessary. The round of prime ministers with Merkel must meet in attendance this week. “We mustn’t experience another prime ministerial conference like we did last time. With discussions that lasted hours, with hours of time off.”

Less private contacts would be needed, said Laschet with a view to his call for a “bridge lockdown”. This could also mean exit restrictions in the evening and night. These are an effective means of reducing contacts in private spaces. In addition, one has to focus on what is necessary in daycare centers and schools – while at the same time providing security through comprehensive and closely-timed tests.

Expand home office

More must also be done in the home office area. “There are still far too many people on the move to work,” said Laschet. In the two to three weeks of the lockdown, the home office offensive of the economy must move forward again. To this end, the federal government will speak to the trade associations again this week about testing. In addition, the catering had to be closed, and there had to be a further reduction in the entire leisure area.

Last week Laschet spoke out in favor of examining new ways in the fight against the third corona wave over Easter. After the end of the planned “Easter rest”, everyone would have to “think about Easter together”, he had emphasized on ZDF – and thus attracted ridicule on the Internet.

During a visit to a vaccination center in Berlin, Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn also called for contacts to be further reduced, “especially in the private sector”, but also in schools and at work. If we succeed in reducing the number of infections again, then testing will help us build a bridge until the vaccination is effective, “he said. Merkel had already warned last week that stricter measures should be taken – but Laschet only had partial measures Implementation of agreed corona “emergency brakes” criticized.

More competencies for the federal government?

Laschet was basically positive about the discussed strengthening of federal competencies in infection protection, but in the current situation a decision by the Prime Minister’s Conference is the faster way. A week ago, Merkel discussed a bundling of competencies at the federal level in the ARD program “Anne Will” out of dissatisfaction with the corona course in some federal states.

“There is a great longing in the population for uniform rules,” said Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer of “Welt am Sonntag” over Easter. He pointed out that a new federal law could be passed within a few days. Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder also spoke out in favor of a temporary tightening of the Corona rules. “We should consider whether another short, but consequent lockdown would not be the better way than a half-hearted and endless corona concept,” he told “Bild am Sonntag”.

A “radical breakwater” demanded in the “world” Green parliamentary group leader Katrin Göring-Eckardt. She made particular reference to the work area. It is difficult to understand if you severely restrict contacts with friends in the evening, but have to work together in open-plan offices during the day.

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