The state government now wants to react quickly to the increasing corona infections in the Free State. “The hospitals are increasingly full,” said Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) on Thursday – and promised tougher measures. According to this, after the end of the autumn break on November 8th, pupils have to wear masks again in class, at least for a limited period of time. In addition, stricter rules should apply to unvaccinated people in public life and the so-called hospital traffic light should be linked to specific restrictions as quickly as possible. The details, said Söder, will be determined by the cabinet in a special meeting next week.
Because the infection situation is particularly acute in some regions of the Free State, Söder wants to regionalize the hospital traffic light. Currently, the traffic light only has a nationwide effect. If there are more than 1200 people with a corona disease in clinics in Bavaria within seven days, the traffic light will turn yellow. If more than 600 people are in intensive care units due to Covid-19 during this period, it jumps to red. Because there are regions in which the clinics are already overloaded and the intensive care beds are fully occupied, the state government now wants to rely on solutions in hotspots again. “A hotspot is where a hospital is permanently full,” said Söder. In hotspot regions, stricter rules could soon apply than in rural districts or urban districts, where the situation at the clinics is comparatively relaxed.
Specifically, Söder can imagine that the 3G plus rule will apply wherever the less strict 3G rule currently applies. This means that in addition to those who have recovered and who have been fully vaccinated, only people with a negative PCR test could have access. A negative rapid antigen test would then no longer be sufficient. Where 3-G-Plus currently still applies, 2G could soon apply again. Which would mean that clubs, discos or brothels, for example, would only be admitted to those who had been vaccinated or recovered. Even a negative PCR test would then no longer be a ticket. In addition, Söder announced that the rules for 3G, 3-G-Plus and 2G in hotspots will be monitored even more closely. He ruled out a general lockdown again.
“Where the numbers are highest, vaccination rates are lowest.”
In order to drive the vaccination rate up further, it needs a “vaccination jolt”, said Söder. With a view to the debate about the unvaccinated Joshua Kimmich from FC Bayern Munich, Söder said it would be a “good signal if public figures, including football players, once again send a clear signal for vaccination”. Söder also advocated considering recommending a third vaccination regardless of age. About the sometimes very high incidences in the south and south-east of Bavaria, he said: “Where the numbers are highest, the vaccination rates are lowest.” There is “a direct connection that can be seen”.
Much like Health Minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU) had already done this on Wednesday, Söder criticized the plan of the traffic light parties SPD, Greens and FDP in the federal government to let the “epidemic situation of national scope” expire at the end of November and through less comprehensive guidelines for To replace corona restrictions, which should finally end on March 20, 2022. “Absurd,” said Söder, after all, nobody can say today what the situation will look like until then. He thinks it “makes sense that we come together as soon as possible between the federal and state governments and discuss how things are going to proceed”, also when it comes to managing the load in the clinics.
For the first time since December 2020, the Bavaria-wide seven-day incidence was above the 200 mark on Thursday, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) – at 208.7 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within one week. In a Germany-wide comparison, this value is only higher in Thuringia and Saxony. In the particularly affected district of Mühldorf am Inn, the seven-day incidence, according to the RKI, is now 621.5, in the district of Traunstein it is 509.9. The numbers are increasing rapidly, especially among children and adolescents.
The district administrators in Bavaria, who met on Thursday for a conference in Dachau, therefore also called for a regionalization of the hospital traffic lights. Christian Bernreiter (CSU), President of the Bavarian District Association, said it must be possible on site to put FFP2 mask requirements, contact restrictions and the 3-G-Plus rule into effect. After the cabinet waived new corona resolutions on Tuesday, the state government is now apparently complying with this request.