Thursday, November 18, 2021
Violent controversy over measures
The L word is back
By Markus Lippold
Scientists, doctors and even politicians are talking more or less openly about a lockdown again. That means: comprehensive restrictions that also apply to vaccinated persons. One federal state already has specific considerations. But there are also dissenting voices.
“Now in autumn it’s about one thing: personal responsibility, personal responsibility, personal responsibility. And I think that if we can do that, then we don’t need to talk about a lockdown.” That said Union parliamentary group leader Ralph Brinkhaus in the “ntv early start”. However, not this November, but the beginning of September 2020.
The nationwide seven-day incidence at that time was below 10 – so there was reason for optimism, even without vaccinations. But things turned out differently, Germany slipped into the winter wave unprepared. Two months after Brinkhaus’ statements, a so-called lockdown light was decided, and stricter measures followed in December.
Much this autumn is reminiscent of 2020. Despite warnings from experts, Germany is experiencing another winter wave. The incidence nationwide is currently over 330, in 13 districts over 1000. Even if the incidence has lost its informative value in view of the vaccinations as a key figure, it is still a yardstick for the infection rate.
What also reminds us of 2020: The promise that there will be no further lockdown. In view of the ongoing vaccination campaign and the low number of infections in the summer, there should no longer be any comprehensive restrictions, especially not for those who are fully vaccinated. But the dramatic corona situation in Germany, the calls for help from the intensive care units and the low vaccination rate have initiated a rethink. A lockdown becomes more likely, even if it is still completely unclear how severe it could be.
In Saxony, which has the highest seven-day incidence of all federal states, there are already quite specific plans for further closings of leisure facilities such as bars, possibly even restaurants. Even if it is still a question of mind games, according to the media reports, they could become reality very quickly. In the state parliament, Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer of the CDU avoided the word lockdown on Thursday, but announced at least a “hard and clear breakwater” for two or three weeks.
In Kretschmer’s decision, his online discussion on Wednesday could have played a role. Lothar Wieler, head of the Robert Koch Institute, found drastic words for the current situation. Saxony’s hospital coordinator Michael Albrecht meanwhile called for a lockdown: “We have no other choice,” he said. Christoph Lübbert from the St. Georg Hospital in Leipzig spoke out in favor of “a quick, hard lockdown”.
Christian Karagiannidis, head of the DIVI intensive care register, can also imagine a lockdown, albeit as the “very last measure of an emergency circuit breaker”, as he said in the NDR podcast “Corona Update”. Frank Ulrich Montgomery, CEO of the World Medical Association, became clearer in ntv’s “Corona Special”: “Nobody wants a lockdown. But it is the only instrument that has really helped us, with the exception of vaccination, when we act at short notice had to, “he said. For Christmas he expects limited opportunities to visit.
The head of statutory health insurance physicians, Andreas Gassen, who warned of panic-mongering, was much more cautious. “The situation is difficult, but there is no reason to panic,” he told the editorial network in Germany. “Some politicians and experts in particular are trying to put the traffic light parties under extreme pressure with gloomy scenarios and warnings that seem almost hysterical,” said Gassen. “There is a lot of publicity going on. That reminds a little of last winter.”
Dehoga boss: “Lockdown must no longer exist”
Politicians are also still very cautious when it comes to expressing themselves, especially when it comes to a lockdown. Katrin Göring-Eckardt, leader of the Greens in the Bundestag and thus representative of the traffic light parties, spoke in the “ntv Frühstart” against general curfews, but can imagine contact restrictions for everyone.
Baden-Württemberg’s Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann at least did not rule out a new lockdown on Tuesday. As of today, there are no general lockdowns and are sticking to the measures under the 2G rule, said the Green politician. “But you really can’t rule anything out,” he said. His green-black state government is at least already discussing whether there could be exit restrictions for unvaccinated people in particularly affected urban and rural districts.
But in the economy in particular there is resistance to a new lockdown. “A lockdown for everyone, including those who have been vaccinated and recovered, and thus the renewed closure of the catering trade would be absolutely disproportionate,” said Andreabelante, the general manager of the Federal Association of System Gastronomy. She called for uniform criteria for 2G or 3G regulations. Dehoga boss Guido Zöllick said: “There can no longer be a lockdown for vaccinated and convalescent people in the hospitality industry. Everything must be done to prevent this.”
While politicians in Germany are still trying to bypass the L-word and are hoping for 2G rules in many places, i.e. restrictions, especially for those who have not been vaccinated, Austria is already further. The seven-day incidence here is 971.5 nationwide. The regions of Salzburg and Upper Austria, which are badly affected by the pandemic, now want to impose a lockdown on the general population. The federal and state governments still want to clarify whether there should be further nationwide measures – in addition to the strict 2G rules.