Tuesday, November 9th, 2021
“Too risky”, “wasted opportunities”
Strong criticism of traffic light plans for Corona
The seven-day incidence peaks as the fourth wave rolls in. Nevertheless, the traffic light coalitioners do not intend to extend the national Corona emergency. Instead, they are planning a series of measures – but they are not met with much approval.
The traffic light parties’ bill to combat the corona pandemic has met with a lot of criticism. The CSU parliamentary group rejects the plans, and the German Association of Cities and the social associations point to failures. The general practitioners warn against scare tactics and uncertainty in view of the high number of infections.
According to a draft law by the SPD, FDP and the Greens, the drastically increasing corona numbers are to be contained, among other things, by returning to free corona rapid tests, 3G at work and financial aid for clinics. CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt rejected the plans in the “Augsburger Allgemeine” as too risky. “The first traffic light decision already risks corona chaos in Germany,” he told the newspaper. “To end the epidemic situation politically without naming real, adequate alternatives, while hospitalization is actually increasing, is a signal of lack of plan.”
At the end of October, the SPD, Greens and FDP announced that they wanted to let the epidemic situation of national scope, the nationwide state of emergency corona, expire on November 25th. Since then, the corona numbers have increased rapidly. The corona incidence is now 213.7, the highest value since the beginning of the pandemic.
City Council would have preferred the nationwide 2G rule
The German Association of Cities criticized that with the submitted draft the chance to introduce the 2G rule in the leisure sector nationwide had been wasted. “Without spades, a visit to the fitness center, club or cinema should be taboo,” demanded chairman Helmut Dedy in the newspapers of the Funke media group. He also insisted on another prime ministerial conference. “Instead of talking for days about the option of a federal-state round, you should perhaps do one and agree on a strategy for the near future together,” he said.
The social associations also miss regulations: “Only the daily compulsory test for everyone in care can break the swelling wave of corona infections in homes,” said the president of the VdK social association, Verena Bentele, of the newspapers of the Funke media group. “It is negligent that the traffic light coalition parties apparently want to dispense with a uniform regulation just like before the federal and state governments.” The German Foundation for Patient Protection also requires daily testing for nursing staff. The vaccination status should not play a role at all, said the board, Eugen Brysch, the editorial network Germany.
While the intensive care physicians are sounding the alarm in view of the high number of infections, the general practitioners are warning of scaremongering and uncertainty. “It is perfectly understandable that citizens are reacting to the rising incidence with uncertainty. What is not also needed, however, is scaremongering through constantly new catastrophe scenarios, as has been pursued by some politicians since the beginning of the pandemic “, said the chairman of the German Association of General Practitioners, Ulrich Weigeldt, of the” Rheinische Post “. Instead, a better communication strategy is required.