The Düsseldorf Jecken postpone the Rose Monday procession due to the corona pandemic in the coming year from February 28 to May 8. That was decided by the Düsseldorf Carneval Committee. The new date opens the chance to carry out the move in the usual way with thousands of spectators on the roadside, the fools justified the step.
“We all assume that we will have overcome the fourth corona wave in the coming spring,” said the president of the committee, Michael L Bäumen. At the same time, the move offers all clubs the opportunity to postpone their events planned for January and February 2022. “We see this as a real opportunity to keep the carnival alive and still celebrate,” said Vice President Stefan Kleinehr.
In Leverkusen, however, the carnival parades were canceled due to the pandemic. The city announced that the carnival societies wanted to send a “clear signal for the 2021/2022 session”. The evening before there was a corresponding general meeting of the Leverkusener Carnival Festival Committee (FLK). “In view of the inevitable, necessary control measures along the train route, we will also forego the carnival parades in this session,” said Thomas Loef, Managing Director of the FLK. The financial risk is also too great if the trains have to be canceled at short notice due to tightened measures.
Scholz announces a permanent Corona crisis team in the Chancellery
The likely future Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has announced the establishment of a permanent federal-state crisis team in the Chancellery to fight the dramatic developments in the Corona crisis. The new federal government will initiate the establishment of such a crisis team, said Scholz at the presentation of the coalition agreement between the SPD, Greens and FDP in Berlin. It is a matter of closely monitoring the situation, checking the effectiveness of measures and developing further steps.
In addition, nursing staff should receive a new bonus due to the particular stresses and strains of the Corona crisis. The future traffic light coalition partners have agreed to provide one billion euros for this, said Scholz.
“Together we have it in our hands to break this bad fourth wave. The new federal government will do everything necessary to get our country through this time,” promised the future Chancellor. (24.11.2021)
Bundeswehr de facto introduces mandatory vaccination
The corona vaccination is mandatory for all Bundeswehr soldiers. As a spokesman for the Defense Ministry said in Berlin, a so-called tolerance obligation was decided for the members of the armed forces. So far, according to him, around 80 percent of soldiers have been vaccinated against Covid-19. Bundeswehr soldiers who refuse to be vaccinated will have to accept legal consequences in the future.
For the Bundeswehr contingents abroad, the obligation to have a corona vaccination has been in place since March. Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (CDU) has been striving for this for everyone since spring, but has encountered resistance. On Monday, an arbitration committee finally reached an agreement with the participating committees.
According to the information, the basic vaccinations of the Bundeswehr include basic immunization against tetanus, diphtheria, polio, measles, mumps and rubella as well as the flu vaccination. Soldiers lived close together in barracks, on ships or in field camps, added the ministry spokesman. Therefore, care must be taken to ensure that infectious diseases do not spread. In addition, the soldiers would have to be physically ready to do their job (24.11.2021)
Clinics in Bavaria and in the east are preparing patient transfers
In order to avoid bottlenecks in intensive care treatment, several dozen patients from the regions in the east and Bavaria that are severely affected by corona are to be relocated to other parts of Germany by the weekend. As the chairman of the working group of the Conference of Interior Ministers for Fire Brigade Matters, Rescue, Disaster Control and Civil Defense, Hermann Schröder, announced on request, applications for nationwide relocation for around 80 patients were examined on Wednesday via the so-called clover leaf procedure.
Above all, Covid-19 patients are to be brought to other regions. In exceptional cases, patients with other diseases could also be relocated, said Schröder. In general, care is taken that the receiving hospitals are located in regions that are currently less affected by the corona pandemic.
Under the impression of the first corona wave, the federal and state governments developed a concept for the nationwide transfer of patients in spring 2020. In September last year, the so-called cloverleaf concept was then decided by the ministers of the interior and health. It provides for the installation to be carried out initially within the five regions – west, north, east, south, and south-west. If there are no longer any vacancies in one of these regions, the transfer to other areas will be organized in exchange with the joint reporting and situation center of the federal and state governments at the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK). A specialist group from the Robert Koch Institute is providing advice. It is the first time since the fourth wave of corona that nationwide relocations are being organized using the cloverleaf procedure. Rescue helicopters are also used to transport the patients. (11/24/2021)
Incidence exceeds the 400 mark
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reports 66 884 positive tests within 24 hours. That is 14 058 cases more than on Wednesday a week ago, when 52 826 new infections were reported. The seven-day incidence rose again to a record 404.5 from 399.8 the previous day. The value indicates how many people per 100,000 population have contracted the coronavirus in the past seven days. 335 other people died related to the virus. This increases the number of reported deaths within one day to 99,768. In total, more than 5.49 million corona tests have so far been positive in Germany. (24.11.2021)
So many first vaccinations as not in two months
The number of infections is increasing, but the number of first vaccinations in Germany is also increasing. According to the Robert Koch Institute, as many people received an initial vaccination against the coronavirus on Tuesday as last two months ago, namely exactly 84,478. In addition, a good 56,000 second and almost half a million booster vaccinations were given. All in all, that adds up to 638,000 vaccinations administered on Tuesday, the last time on July 28th.
A total of 68.1 percent of Germans – this corresponds to 56.6 million people – are fully vaccinated against Corona. 58.8 million (70.7 percent) received a primary vaccination. 6.6 million people have also received a booster vaccination. The RKI assumes that probably more people are vaccinated among adults than the data suggests: 100% registration of the vaccinations cannot be achieved by the reporting system, according to the vaccination overview of the RKI.
Furthermore, there are significant regional differences in the level of vaccinations against the coronavirus: Among the federal states, Bremen has the highest proportion of residents who have been vaccinated twice at 79.7 percent. Saxony brings up the rear with 57.8 percent. (11/24/2021)
Merz for extensive lockdown for unvaccinated people
In view of the fourth corona wave, the CDU politician Friedrich Merz has spoken out in favor of an extensive lockdown for unvaccinated people. Those who have not been vaccinated or recovered should “only be able to go to the pharmacy, the supermarket and the doctor,” said Merz to the editorial network in Germany. Such a regulation is proportionate and could also be implemented immediately. The former CDU / CSU parliamentary group leader is applying for the chairmanship of the CDU again after two failed attempts.
Merz pointed out that employees without a vaccination could no longer work in such a lockdown. “With a consistent 2-G regulation, access to the company and the workplace would only be possible for vaccinated and genesis patients – with all the consequences.” The following must apply: “No more unvaccinated people in the office, no more unvaccinated soccer players on the lawn, no more unvaccinated MPs in the Bundestag, no more unvaccinated students in the classroom.” Merz, on the other hand, was again skeptical about compulsory vaccinations. “I am in favor of only making government orders if they can be enforced,” he said. (11/24/2021)