Almost two years after the largest return campaign in the history of the Federal Republic at the beginning of the corona pandemic, thousands of bills are still open. Around 7,000 of the more than 54,000 payment notices sent by the Federal Foreign Office to the passengers on the 260 rescue flights have not yet been paid or not yet paid, as the German press agency learned from the ministry. For the most part, the payment deadline is still running or payment in installments has been agreed. In 1200 cases, however, the ministry had to initiate dunning proceedings. Many passengers argue against participation in the costs in court. Of the original 201 lawsuits, 135 are still pending.
The then Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) started the campaign on March 17, 2020 together with tour operators and airlines after many countries closed borders and cut flight connections at short notice. A total of around 240,000 travelers were returned. The tour operators themselves flew the tourists who had booked with them free of charge. The Federal Foreign Office chartered planes for individual travelers and those wishing to return home that made 260 flights and brought back around 67,000 people from around 65 countries by the end of April. From June onwards, the returnees were asked to pay. The total costs were then estimated at 93.8 million euros, almost 40 percent of which should be borne by the flight passengers themselves.
So far, 54 306 invoices for a total of 31.7 million euros have been sent in Germany. So far, 28.6 million euros have been received from this. Around 500 invoices to German citizens abroad still have to be sent. The Federal Foreign Office is expecting four million euros from other countries to take their citizens with them. In addition, Germany received EU grants of 38.1 million. The bottom line is that the Federal Foreign Office assumes that it will get back 70 to 75 percent of the cost of the return campaign. (27.12.2021)
Kretschmann criticizes Kubicki in the dispute over compulsory vaccination
Baden-Württemberg’s Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann has sharply criticized the resistance within the FDP to a general vaccination requirement. “The statement by Wolfgang Kubicki that many proponents of vaccination are concerned with revenge and retaliation is simply irresponsible and completely unsuitable for adequately conducting the debate,” said the Green politician of the German press agency. He was happy that the FDP had at least agreed to the compulsory vaccination for staff in facilities such as clinics and nursing homes and that FDP boss Christian Lindner had meanwhile spoken out in favor of a general compulsory vaccination.
The deputy FDP chairman Wolfgang Kubicki recently sharply criticized proponents of a general compulsory corona vaccination and accused them of revenge on unvaccinated people as a motive. The Bundestag is expected to decide on a general obligation to vaccinate against the coronavirus in the coming year in a free vote without parliamentary group discipline. Kubicki and other FDP MPs, on the other hand, had recently spoken out clearly against such an obligation in a draft application. According to Kubicki, there are now more than 30 parliamentarians involved.
Kretschmann considers the FDP, with which his party governs in the federal government, to be the much more difficult coalition partner in the fight against the corona pandemic than the CDU. “One of the reasons why I form a coalition with the Christian Democrats in the country: Because I am on a common denominator with those in the Corona policy on fundamental issues,” he said. “We’re pulling in the same direction from the start.” FDP parliamentary group leader Hans-Ulrich Rülke, on the other hand, has considered all the state government’s measures against the virus to be excessive and even described instruments such as curfews as nonsense, criticized Kretschmann. “Fortunately, the Federal Constitutional Court saw things very differently.” (27.12.2021)
Clinics complain about a lack of staff and economic losses
The German Hospital Society (DKG) is sounding the alarm in view of the staff shortage in the hospitals. Four out of five clinics have problems filling vacant nursing positions in their general and intensive care units. This is the result of the current hospital barometer of the German Hospital Institute (DKI), which is available to the editorial network Germany.
According to this, around 22,300 care positions are vacant nationwide. Since 2016, this corresponds to a threefold increase in the number of vacancies. “The shortage of nursing staff is the most pressing problem in health policy. It has to be at the top of the political agenda,” DKG boss Gerald Gass told the RND. The future prospects for vacancies are also bleak. According to the survey, every second hospital expects the nursing staff situation to deteriorate in the next three years.
The hospitals are also not doing well economically: According to the information, 60 percent of the clinics expect losses in the past year 2021. According to the survey, only eleven percent of hospitals currently rate their economic situation as good. Only 22 percent of the clinics expect an improvement in 2022. Compared to the previous year, the proportion of facilities that are in the red is likely to double, explained the DKG. (27.12.2021)
Nationwide incidence increases slightly to 222.7
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reports 13 908 new corona infections within 24 hours. That is 2,178 fewer cases than on Monday a week ago, when 16,086 positive tests were reported. The nationwide seven-day incidence increases to 222.7 from 220.7 the previous day. The value indicates how many people per 100,000 population have contracted the coronavirus in the past seven days. 69 other people died related to the virus.
This increases the number of reported deaths within one day to 110,433. In total, more than seven million corona tests have so far been positive in Germany. The RKI points out that fewer tests are carried out during the holidays and at the turn of the year and therefore fewer cases are likely to be reported. (27.12.2021)
Several federal states are tightening their corona rules
In several federal states, stricter corona regulations will take effect this Monday. Contacts in private and public life are being further restricted, especially in order to prepare against the highly contagious Omikron variant. Some federal states had already started this at Christmas, others are now following suit. From Monday, stricter rules apply in Baden-Württemberg, Lower Saxony, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. More countries will follow on Tuesday. The federal and state governments had agreed on these measures.
Despite the recent drop in the number of cases, apply from Monday to the whole Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania stricter protective measures. Cinemas, theaters, museums, the interiors of zoos, swimming pools and other leisure facilities must remain closed across the board. So far, these restrictions have only applied in the middle and east of the country. However, since the corona traffic light for the country was red for several days and another wave of infections is expected with the Omikron variant, the state government had ordered the closings nationwide.
In Brandenburg There is a limit of ten people for private indoor or outdoor meetings from Monday for those who have been vaccinated and recovered until at least January 11th. If there is someone in a household without a corona vaccination, the existing rules remain unchanged: Only up to two people from another household are allowed to attend private meetings, children under 14 years are not counted.
Also in Lower Saxony Only groups of up to ten vaccinated and recovered people are allowed to meet – not counting children.
In Baden-Wuerttemberg From this Monday there will also be a curfew in the gastronomy from 10.30 p.m. to 5 a.m. On New Year’s Eve, curfew does not begin until 1:00 a.m.
In many German cities, opponents of Corona measures want to mobilize on Monday. Demonstrations have been registered in several cities in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Brandenburg as well as in Mannheim in Baden-Württemberg. On Boxing Day, several hundred people protested against Corona regulations in Berlin and Schweinfurt. (27.12.2021)