"That just doesn't work": Spahn rejects the Corona schedule

"That's just not possible"
Spahn rejects the Corona schedule

When can people in Germany return to a reasonably normal everyday life? This question is currently the subject of heated political debate. Health Minister Spahn refuses to fix the easing of the corona restrictions on a certain date.

Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn has rejected calls for a time-binding plan to relax the corona restrictions and presented a new infection value of below 10 as desirable. "Everyone wants a three- and six-month plan, but that just doesn't work. I think we shouldn't make any false promises," said the CDU politician on the ARD program "Report from Berlin".

First of all, in view of the increasing spread of virus mutations, he wants to wait and see how the opening of more schools and daycare centers will affect this Monday. "It makes sense, together – that's the conversation with the federal states – to define the stages from when the next step can be taken. But the truth is: an incidence of less than 10, which is in any case in most regions in Germany pretty far away, "said Spahn. The meant incidence indicates the number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants and week. According to the Robert Koch Institute, it is currently 60.2 for the whole of Germany – with an upward trend.

If Berlin's Governing Mayor Michael Müller has its way, the step-by-step plan promised by the federal and state governments for further steps in the pandemic should not only be based on the number of new infections. "The incidence value remains important, but an R-value well below 1 and a falling utilization of intensive care medicine will be important criteria for the next easing step," said the SPD politician of the "Stuttgarter Zeitung" and the "Stuttgarter Nachrichten".

Müller announced "a proposal without the values ​​10 or 25" for the new week, as some have suggested. Rather, his draft will focus on periods with infection rates below 35 or 50. "If the federal states achieve these incidences stable over several weeks, further steps in culture and gastronomy can follow." The social democrat is currently chairman of the conference of prime ministers.

Walter-Borjans demands legal certainty

In view of the increase in the number of cases over the weekend and the risk of virus mutations, Müller made it clear that the step-by-step plan was "not a one-way street in the direction of relaxation". He said: "If necessary, we will have to adopt restrictions again if the numbers rise sharply again, as in other European countries."

The heads of government of the federal states and Chancellor Angela Merkel confirmed on February 10th that they wanted to develop an opening strategy. The SPD chairman Norbert Walter-Borjans insisted on a “legally secure” step-by-step plan in the ZDF program “Berlin direkt”, which reveals: “If that happens, then there will be restrictions. And if values ​​are not reached, then I have the opportunity to loosen up and return to a normal life. " Merkel should "provide orientation". "You must have a say in how we proceed in the next steps."

With regard to the vaccinations, which are so important in the fight against the coronavirus, Spahn announced on ARD that he wanted to talk to the health ministers of the countries about the required higher prioritization of primary school and daycare staff on Monday. She is his goal. He expects the process to take up to a week. The Prime Ministers of the federal states and Chancellor Merkel also issued a corresponding test order on February 10th. The demand was also made from the federal states and teachers' associations.

Spahn also wants to check whether those who have already been infected with the virus only need a vaccination to refresh the antibodies. It is true that people who have already gone through the disease should also be vaccinated, he said on the ARD's social media channels. But he is investigating whether only one vaccine dose would then be necessary instead of the two intended for the Biontech vaccine, for example.

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