Bundesliga matches and other major events are to take place without spectators initially in the new year. This emerges from the revised draft of the draft resolution for tomorrow’s conference of prime ministers with Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz. In the paper, as of Monday 3:45 p.m., the Süddeutsche Zeitung is available, it says under point 11: Supraregional sports, cultural and comparable major events will take place without spectators from December 28, 2021 at the latest. This would affect the Four Hills Tournament, for example. The second half of the Bundesliga starts on January 7th.
In the already known plans for further restrictions in the private sector, December 28th is now the last date for tightening. So it is said about the limitation of private events also among vaccinated and convalescent people that they should come into force “at the latest” from December 28th. (nif, December 20, 2021)
Germany is debating a new lockdown
In view of the rapid spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus in Europe, Germany is apparently heading for new restrictions – but probably not until after Christmas. The prime ministers of the federal states have agreed to meet with the federal government on Tuesday afternoon. It should be about nationwide uniform rules, such as contact restrictions for vaccinated people, stricter rules in the leisure area and for events or a nationwide FFP2 mask requirement.
From December 28th, private get-togethers for vaccinated and convalescents should only be allowed with a maximum of ten people. This upper limit should apply to private meetings in the same way as outdoors. Children up to the age of 14 are excluded. At least that’s what a draft from Monday lunchtime for the conference is about. You can read details about the document here.
There must be further contact restrictions after the holidays, said SPD leader Lars Klingbeil. According to co-chair Saskia Esken, clubs and bars should also be closed. The Green health politician Janosch Dahmen emphasized: “In view of the extremely high transferability of Omikron, we will probably not be able to avoid a lockdown after Christmas. A possible scenario would be a well-planned lockdown at the beginning of January.” Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) also spoke out in favor of sharpening the corona measures: “I am sure that clubs and discos will close.” In addition, contacts would have to be reduced for vaccinated people indoors. (12/20/2021)
For the first time in two weeks, the incidence is rising again
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reports an increasing incidence for the first time in a good two weeks. The value climbed slightly from 315.4 on Sunday to 316.0 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants per week. 16 086 positive corona tests were reported to the RKI within 24 hours, 5657 fewer than on Monday a week ago. 119 new deaths were also recorded.
On November 28, the incidence had reached its provisional high of 484.9 in the current fourth wave. Since then, the value had fallen continuously – until now. Experts fear a sharp increase in the incidence soon because of the more contagious omicron variant.
Besides that the RKI raises the risk assessment. The institute classifies the current risk of infection as very high for unvaccinated people, high for those with basic immunization and moderate for those with a booster vaccination. (12/20/2021)
Lauterbach has the national vaccination register checked
Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach has checked whether the establishment of a national register for the central recording of corona vaccinations would be useful. “I’ll have it checked,” said the SPD politician on Sunday in the image. If the examination reveals that the register is going to be a “giant bureaucracy monster” because it is very difficult to record the vaccinations of citizens retrospectively, then he will “probably be against it”. Turns out the vaccination registry doesn’t bother too much, “then I’ll be for it”.
With a vaccination register, the corona vaccination status of people could be recorded centrally. A general corona vaccination requirement could be controlled in this way. For him, however, the priority now is to speed up the vaccination, said Lauterbach. “One thing I want to prevent is that we keep the doctors from vaccinating with more bureaucracy and documentation.”
Lauterbach also warns against considering the dead vaccine from the US manufacturer Novavax, which has now been recommended for approval, as a “game changer”, as it is in the image-Newspaper said. According to studies, the vaccines from Moderna and Biontech, which have already been administered millions of times, are “a whole lot safer”. Unlike all previous vaccines, the Novavax vaccine contains tiny particles that consist of a laboratory-made version of the Sars-CoV-2 spike protein. (12/20/2021)
Ex-Federal President Gauck for compulsory vaccination
Former Federal President Joachim Gauck speaks out in favor of compulsory vaccination in the matter of Corona. “Even as a liberal democrat, I can accept such a measure because the compulsory vaccination limits my personal freedom in a very small sector,” said Gauck Augsburger Allgemeine. The interference with the physical integrity is rather small in relation to its benefit. “If the appeals to vaccinate are not enough, compulsory vaccination is the obvious solution.”
Gauck added: “I believe that many people would accept the compulsory vaccination – some grudgingly, but according to the motto, if it is a duty, then we will comply. Sporty drivers want to drive as fast as possible everywhere, but they also want to stop the vast majority of them comply with the applicable rules. ” There are good moral, factual, political and legal reasons for accepting the compulsory vaccination. “That’s why our legal system does not collapse,” said the former head of state.
Employer President Rainer Dulger gives up his hesitant attitude towards a general vaccination requirement. “For a long time I built on the common sense of the people, but now I am very much in favor of a general vaccination requirement,” said the head of the Federation of German Employers’ Associations (BDA) Handelsblatt. “I think it is the only viable way to get the pandemic under control.” (12/20/2021)
Vaccination center breakdown: Children get Moderna vaccine instead of Biontech
In the vaccination center of the Olpe district in North Rhine-Westphalia, several children were injected with the Moderna vaccine on Sunday – although so far only the Biontech agent has been approved for them. “The parents of the children affected were immediately informed of the incident,” said the district. In a conversation with the medical management of the vaccination center, they had been informed that approval for children had been applied for from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the vaccine Moderna.
The children who received Moderna had no abnormalities when they left the vaccination center. At the request of the parents, however, the incident was reported to the police. It was noticed by the vaccinating medical assistant himself, it was said. How many children are involved was not disclosed.
The EMA gave the go-ahead for approval of Biontech / Pfizer’s corona vaccine for children aged five and over in November. It is the first corona vaccine approved in the EU for children under the age of twelve. The children should only receive a third of the adult dose of the vaccine and two doses three weeks apart. The Moderna vaccine Spikevax has so far been approved in the EU for people aged twelve and over. However, the Standing Vaccination Commission recommends that people under 30 only be vaccinated with Biontech products. (December 19, 2021)