The way through the winter: We need the lockdown for the unvaccinated

The way through the winter
We need the lockdown for the unvaccinated

A comment by Tilman Aretz

Now only one thing helps: a strict and strict 2Gplus. So 2G plus compulsory testing. Plus energetic booster campaign.

50,000 new infections a day, warnings of another 100,000 corona deaths. Actually for a long time, but at the latest now we need 2G nationwide. Nationwide and everywhere. So not only in restaurants, fitness studios, museums and in the cinema, but above all in the office, in the nursing home, in non-supply-related retail. Actually also in the train, in local public transport. Just everywhere.

Yes, this is a lockdown for the unvaccinated – not a hard one, not an unfair one, but a consistent and necessary one.

Why should you do that? Firstly, to save lives, especially those of the old and the weak, who cannot defend themselves against the ignorance of those who refuse to be vaccinated. Second, to stop the hospitals from filling up, in which operations that are not urgently needed are being postponed again. Because in contrast to last year, the vaccinated – and the hospital staff – no longer understand this.

Let the teenagers make out again

The lockdown of the unvaccinated should also be poured into legal texts immediately to enable eight-year-old elementary school children to go to school without a mask and teenagers to make wild smooches behind the gym, to guarantee the students participation after three semesters of Fernuni, not to stifle the economy and the many Self-employed people, freelancers, innkeepers and artists to secure their right to exercise their profession freely. Politics must protect the vulnerable and enable the 56 million people who have been vaccinated to have a reasonably normal economic, cultural and social life. She finally has to do what is expected of her. Care seriously and act decisively.

But don’t those who have been vaccinated also get infected? Yes, they do. But much less often than unvaccinated people. Can’t vaccinated people pass the virus on? Yes, you can. But they are significantly less infectious than those who have not been vaccinated. Aren’t people who have been vaccinated in hospitals and intensive care units? Yes they do. But in relation to the number of people vaccinated, their proportion is small and their disease progression is less severe. All in all, this means: We would have the infection rate among the vaccinated under control.

And that’s the point. We do not have the danger posed by unvaccinated people under control. The unvaccinated not only put their own health at risk, but that of everyone. And ultimately limit the civil rights of every individual. Unfortunately, the future traffic light coalition got completely lost here. The FDP in particular has reached an argumentative dead end. It calls for “freedom, personal responsibility and the individual”, rejects compulsory vaccination for nursing professions and prevents a nationwide 2G regulation. Only very timidly it seems so, it dawns on the liberals that the freedom of citizens, the individual way of life, the perception of responsibility and the development of the community are not called into question by corona rules, but by irregularity.

Compulsory vaccination?

In the case of a general corona vaccination obligation for everyone – individual professional groups should definitely think about it – you may be able to go along with it. In practical terms, it is difficult to imagine how this should be implemented. Will a vaccine opponent who was exposed during a check-up then be held on the left and right by two police officers in uniform while an accompanying doctor in a white coat puts the syringe? Hardly likely.

But what speaks against a strict 2Gplus? “Man’s freedom does not lie in the fact that he can do what he wants, but rather that he does not have to do what he does not want,” wrote Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the 18th century. We should follow this wise thought. If you don’t want to be vaccinated, you can leave it. From the point of view of the majority of citizens, it is either incomprehensible, irresponsible, angry or selfish. Or all together. But it is also everyone’s right. He doesn’t have to do what he doesn’t want to. Despite the “worst crisis since the Second World War”, vaccination is unfortunately only an offer. And therefore consistent 2G rules are not mandatory for vaccinations through the back door. Those who do not want to be vaccinated are not forced to do so, they just have to face the consequences.

“We can’t let the stupid die”

This includes: Those who refuse the vaccination can no longer do everything they want. If only because the community also bears a responsibility for these people. “You can’t just explain: Those who refuse, who are too stupid to vaccinate, we let them die,” says Alexander Kekulé. He is right. So we have to protect these people from themselves. And the community – keyword missing intensive care beds – in front of them.

The time of tiring discussions with vaccination refusals, oaths, vaguely fearful or supposedly nice young men like Joshua Kimmich is over. They just have to stay at home until early summer. Incidentally, this also applies to the – sorry – contaminated nurses. Probably Aunt Mathilda and Grandpa Joseph also find that better in their facility than being cared for dead by infected vaccine opponents. And those who now indignantly shout “two-class society” should be answered: stop complaining, get vaccinated or practice humility. It’s about human life, solidarity and respect and not sensitivities.

We are now simply taking care of those who need protection and who are participating in the fight against the pandemic. That means:

  • Rapid ramp-up of the booster vaccinations
  • Get rid of the rigid six-month rule – booster injections for everyone who wants to
  • Reopening of the vaccination centers
  • Reactivation of the test centers and free rapid tests – but only free of charge for all vaccinated persons

2Gplus, vaccinated and tested, enables football in the stadium, theater, private Christmas parties, travel. It doesn’t have to be three-day large indoor weddings or wet and cheerful carnival sessions.

And who should control all of this? Rules are useless without supervision? Very easily. Sporadic checks are sufficient – with drastic penalties. 500 to 5000 euros per violation, or, as Karl Lauterbach suggests, “six weeks of closure” if an innkeeper does not adhere to 2G, that’s it.

This is the way through winter and out of the pandemic. It’s pretty easy actually.

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