The Federal Schoolchildren’s Conference calls for a vaccination offer for all young people during the summer holidays. “Especially when it comes to starting school after the holidays, vaccinations are a key factor for safe teaching,” said Secretary General Dario Schramm Editorial network Germany. “It is clear to me that every student aged twelve and over must be given a vaccination offer during the summer holidays.” The first offer for a vaccination against the coronavirus must be made at the beginning of the vacation so that, in the best case, the second vaccination is already possible at the end of the vacation.
Many young people wanted to protect themselves against the Delta variant of the virus, but could not come to vaccination appointments, criticized the student representative. “I see the ministries of education as responsible in this process as the ministries of health,” he emphasized. “You must now get together as quickly as possible and take appropriate action.” The Standing Vaccination Commission has recommended vaccination for young people from the age of twelve for risk groups, but not generally for everyone in this age group. As a result, the willingness to vaccinate was somewhat reduced, said Schramm. However, there are still many young people who want to be vaccinated and have difficulty getting to appointments. (07/07/2021)
The incidence is rising again slightly
The health authorities in Germany reported 985 new corona infections to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) within one day. For comparison: a week ago the value was 808 infections. The RKI gives the seven-day incidence nationwide as 5.1. It rises slightly from 4.9 the day before. According to the new information, 48 deaths were recorded across Germany within 24 hours.
The RKI gives the number of those who have recovered at 3,631,500. The number of people who died with or with a proven infection with Sars-CoV-2 rises to 91,110. (07/07/2021)
Soon up to 25,000 spectators in the stadium again
Large sporting events with up to 25,000 spectators should be possible again under certain conditions, despite the increasingly rampant delta variant of the corona virus. At certain events, even more participants should be allowed, as is evident from a resolution of the working group for major events of the heads of the state chancelleries on Tuesday, which is available to the German Press Agency. Bavaria wants to set the upper limit at 20,000 spectators. According to information from the federal states, formal approval from the prime minister is not required. However, the new regulation still has to be transferred to the respective state law.
For “large sporting events with a transnational character” the following applies: If there are more than 5,000 spectators, the resolution states that a maximum of half of the spectators possible at the venue may be admitted, but normally not more than a total of 25,000 people. Bavaria only wants to allow a maximum utilization of 35 percent of the maximum capacity. For certain major events (for example so-called traditional events), the federal states may also allow more spectators under certain circumstances. (07/06/2021)
Kretschmann is considering a tougher approach, going truant for vaccination appointments
Baden-Württemberg wants to examine a tougher action against vaccination deadlines – i.e. against people who do not attend an agreed corona vaccination appointment and also do not cancel. “That is lack of solidarity and irresponsible to those who want to be vaccinated,” said Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) on Tuesday in Stuttgart.
The effort to create the legal basis for a punishment is gigantic. The federal government must take care of that, said Kretschmann. However, the federal government has already spoken out against such sanctions. According to its spokesman Seibert, the federal government has not planned to impose fines for appointments that have not been canceled.
According to Kretschmann, the state government of Baden-Württemberg now wants to check whether vaccination deadlines are not liable for costs incurred – especially if the vaccine against the coronavirus has to be destroyed. Baden-Württemberg Health Minister Manne Lucha (Greens) spoke of an estimated two to five percent of people who simply did not show up for the second vaccination appointment in the past few weeks.
At the weekend there was a discussion about penalties for skipped vaccination appointments. Among others, Bavaria’s Minister of Health Klaus Holetschek (CSU) and the President of the German Red Cross Berlin, Mario Czaja (CDU), had spoken out in favor of fines. A spokeswoman for the federal health ministry said there was no evidence that this was a mass phenomenon. The chancellor’s psychologist and advisor, Cornelia Betsch, also advised against sanctions. Currently, the remaining unvaccinated are more hesitant anyway, she told the radio station Bayern 2. It is not a good incentive to say, “We are punishing the people who skip the second vaccination.” Instead, Betsch suggested that people should be free to choose the second vaccination date. (07/06/2021)
FFP2 is no longer required – Berliners can shop with a simple surgical mask
The Berlin Senate has agreed to further relax the corona restrictions. They essentially concern the mask requirement, contact restrictions and events and should apply from Saturday, July 10th, as Health Senator Dilek Kalayci (SPD) announced on Tuesday.
In the future, a simple surgical mask will suffice when shopping. The obligation to wear an FFP2 mask is lifted. This also applies to various other areas in which a mask is required. Exception: In public transport, i.e. buses and trains, and for services that are close to the body, for example at the hairdresser’s, an FFP2 mask must still be worn.
In addition, there are no longer any contact restrictions for private meetings indoors – there is no longer a fixed upper limit. So far, a maximum of ten people from a maximum of five households have been allowed to meet indoors in a private setting. Own children up to the age of 14 as well as fully vaccinated and convalescent are not counted. Private encounters outside had already been relaxed two weeks ago. There is a guideline of a maximum of 100 people.
Events in closed rooms are allowed in Berlin from July 10th with up to 1000 people present at the same time instead of the previous 500. In the case of mechanical ventilation and hygiene concepts, even 2000 participants are possible. According to the Senate resolution, outdoor dance events with up to 1000 people at the same time are possible again; they are forbidden inside. In the case of excursions, city tours, boat trips and comparable tourist offers, there is no obligation to book an appointment. (07/06/2021)
As little short-time work as there has been since the beginning of the crisis
The number of short-time workers in Germany fell to its lowest level since the beginning of the Corona crisis in June. It fell from 2.3 to 1.5 million people and thus to the lowest level since February 2020, as the Ifo Institute announced. In June, 4.5 percent of dependent employees were still on short-time work, after 6.8 percent in the previous month. “The numbers fell sharply, especially in the sectors where the corona measures were relaxed,” said Ifo survey expert Stefan Sauer. The Munich economic researchers estimate the numbers on the basis of their business survey and data from the Federal Employment Agency.
Accordingly, the number of people on short-time work in the hospitality industry fell from 520,000 in May to just 331,000 in June. However, that is still a third of the employees there, explained the Ifo Institute. In retail, the number of short-time workers fell from 226,000 to 104,000 – that is still 4.2 percent. In industry, 3.7 percent of employees are on short-time work, that is 257,000 people, and 0.6 percent in construction.
In contrast, orders from German industry collapsed more sharply in May than since the first lockdown in 2020: by 3.7 percent compared to April, according to the Federal Ministry of Economics. New business thus fell for the first time this year. Economists, on the other hand, had expected an increase of 1.0 percent. The reason for the decline is also likely to be the lack of material, said chief economist Thomas Gitzel from VP Bank. “The industry still has good quarters ahead of it, but the special demand is probably slowly ending now.” Containing the pandemic will also lead to normalization.
“Overall, incoming orders are still above the pre-crisis level,” said the ministry. Measured on February 2020, the month before the start of the restrictions in the wake of the corona pandemic, the orders are now 6.2 percent higher. Compared to the lockdown month of May 2020, they increased by 54.3 percent.
The German economy had shrunk by 1.8 percent in the lockdown at the beginning of 2021. In the quarter just ended, the economy is likely to have recovered noticeably thanks to openings and easing. For the current summer, economists are also expecting noticeable growth, even if delivery bottlenecks, for example for preliminary products, are slowing down many industrial companies. (07/06/2021)
RKI is aiming for a vaccination rate of more than 85 percent
In the fight against the delta variant, according to calculations by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), at least 85 percent of 12 to 59 year olds and 90 percent of senior citizens aged 60 and over should be fully vaccinated. “If this vaccination quota is reached in time, a pronounced 4th wave in the coming autumn / winter seems unlikely,” says a paper that was published on Monday. Nevertheless, the population must continue to adhere to the basic hygiene measures. It may also be necessary to reduce contacts “to a certain extent” as the number of infections increases.
The RKI is cautiously optimistic that the vaccination goals can actually be achieved. In a survey of citizens between the middle of May and the beginning of June, a willingness to be vaccinated was determined, which “makes the target vaccination rates identified in the model appear achievable”. So far, according to official information, 56.5 percent of people in Germany have received a first dose of vaccine, 38.9 percent have been fully vaccinated.
Chancellor Angela Merkel and Health Minister Jens Spahn (both CDU) have also pointed out the importance of vaccinations in view of the rapidly spreading delta variant of the corona virus. According to information from the German Press Agency, Merkel warned participants on Monday in the last regular deliberations of the CDU leadership before the summer break in Berlin. Unvaccinated children in particular are still vulnerable in autumn.(05.07.2021)