Due to the falling number of corona infections, the federal government is removing all of Spain and thus also the popular holiday island of Mallorca from the list of high-risk areas on Sunday. This was announced by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). This means that all quarantine regulations for holidaymakers returning from Spain are no longer applicable. The greater Lisbon area will also no longer be a high-risk area from Sunday. The Algarve is the only region in Portugal that remains on the list.
Spain is considered the most popular holiday destination for Germans abroad. On July 11, it was classified as a risk area due to the sharp increase in the number of infections in the middle of the holiday season, and at the end of July as a high-risk area. Since then, returnees who have not been fully vaccinated or have recovered have been placed in quarantine for ten days, from which they can only free themselves after five days with a negative test. This particularly affected the tourism industry on Mallorca.
Last Sunday, the Canary Islands and Catalonia with the tourist metropolis of Barcelona and the beaches of the Costa Brava were removed from the list of high-risk areas. Now the whole country is disappearing from the RKI list.
From Sunday on, Chile will no longer be a high-risk area either. Three Caribbean countries are new to the list: Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Lucia. After the changes on Sunday, there will still be around 70 countries that are fully or partially classified as high-risk areas.
Countries and regions with a particularly high risk of infection are classified as high-risk areas. Unlike in the past, it is not just the infection numbers that are decisive. Other criteria are the speed at which the virus is spreading, the burden on the health system or a lack of data on the corona situation. (08/27/2021)
Concert organizers want the 2-G option nationwide
The President of the Federal Association of the Concert and Event Industry, Jens Michow, calls for uniform national rules for his branch. “We hope that the Hamburg 2-G model is a blueprint for all other federal states,” said Michow of the German press agency. As long as there are capacity restrictions and distance rules, events make no economic sense.
His association therefore welcomes the 2-G option, which will be possible in Hamburg from Saturday. Then organizers can decide whether, after registering with the authorities, they will only let in vaccinated and convalescent people, who are then largely exempt from the corona restrictions, or whether they want to continue using the 3G model. This includes those who have been tested and therefore not vaccinated, but is subject to the previous corona restrictions.
“Concert tours will only be possible again, however, when there is no patchwork of different regulations in Germany, but the countries finally agree on a uniform opening scenario,” emphasized Michow. Since PCR tests provide far more reliable results than rapid tests, it must also be possible to allow those who have tested PCR access to events without capacity restrictions.
Federal Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht sees no nationwide hurdles for the 2-G model. “I don’t think that’s problematic at all,” said the SPD politician on ZDF, referring to criticism that this would restrict the rights of those tested. After all, the basic rights of innkeepers would also be restricted if they were not allowed to fully occupy their restaurant. This would enable restaurateurs to exercise their domiciliary rights and there was a chance of less risk of infection in restaurants. (08/27/2021)
The seven-day incidence is 70.3
The seven-day incidence has risen again. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), it was 70.3 – the previous day the value was 66.0, a week ago it was 48.8. The health authorities in Germany reported 12 029 new corona infections to the RKI within one day. A week ago, the value for Germany was 9280 infections. According to the new information, 14 deaths were recorded across Germany within 24 hours. (08/27/2021)
Merkel warns of resistant virus variants
According to Chancellor Angela Merkel, the number of people infected with corona worldwide must not become too large. “As long as the vaccines work, we can get out of the pandemic,” she says. “Once we get a variant that the vaccines don’t work on, we have a big problem,” she adds. “That is why we should work flat out to ensure that the whole world can be vaccinated. That is the most important thing.” (08/26/2021)
2.25 billion euros from the EU corona fund
Germany received the first part of the corona aid from the new European reconstruction fund. The responsible EU commission transferred 2.25 billion euros to the Federal Republic, as a spokeswoman announced. This corresponds to nine percent of the total aid – around 25.6 billion euros – that Germany is to receive as part of the fund.
According to the commission, the money in Germany will, among other things, flow into investments in climate-friendly hydrogen technology, digital public services and the modernization and digitization of hospitals.
The EU’s Corona reconstruction program provides for aid totaling 800 billion euros after adjusted prices. The money is intended to help cope with the economic damage caused by the pandemic. It is financed through debts that are to be repaid jointly by 2058. The core of the program is the so-called development and resilience facility, from which the funds have now been paid out to Germany. It enables grants totaling 338 billion euros as well as loans to be awarded. Germany received the first funds from another part of the Corona reconstruction program in June. (08/26/2021)
Bundestag extends “epidemic situation”
The Bundestag has also determined an “epidemic situation of national importance”. 325 MPs voted for a corresponding motion from the governing parliamentary groups of the Union and the SPD. 253 parliamentarians voted against, five abstained. The special situation will initially apply for a further three months, i.e. until the end of November. Without a renewed confirmation by Parliament, it will expire after three months.
The ascertained “epidemic situation” creates, among other things, a legal basis for state regulations on specific crisis measures such as mask requirements or contact restrictions. The Bundestag first determined it in March 2020 and last confirmed on June 11 that the special situation persists. According to the Infection Protection Act, it exists “if there is a serious risk to public health in the entire Federal Republic of Germany”. (08/25/2021)
More than 100 million vaccine doses injected
Eight months after the start of the corona vaccinations in Germany, more than 100 million vaccine doses have been injected. Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn (CDU) wrote on Twitter that this was “one of the greatest logistical achievements in the history of our country”. According to the ministry, there are now 100.2 million doses administered.
According to this, 49.4 million people or 59.4 percent of the population are now fully vaccinated with the second syringe, which is usually necessary. 53.5 million people or 64.4 percent of all residents received at least one first vaccination. Spahn thanked everyone who helped with the vaccination.
In six out of 16 federal states, more than 60 percent of the residents are now fully vaccinated: Bremen continues to lead with 69.5 percent. It is followed by Saarland with 64.6 percent fully vaccinated residents, Schleswig-Holstein with 63.2 percent, North Rhine-Westphalia 62.2 percent, Hamburg with 61.3 percent and Lower Saxony with 60.6 percent. (08/25/2021)