No further easing of the corona measures and basically more ghost games in the Bundesliga: This is evident in the federal and state consultations on the corona situation. It was “agreed that the rules in force up to now basically continue to apply,” says a draft resolution from the federal states, which has not yet been coordinated with the federal government and which is available to the SZ. “If there is a risk of the health system being overloaded”, they would “agree on further measures to control infection”. At the same time, one wants to “develop perspectives for the moment when an overload of the health system can be ruled out”.
However, at least for the time being, spectators should be excluded from major sporting events, even if the Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) had called for an end to the ghost games in the football stadiums. Shortly before Christmas, the federal-state group had agreed on the exclusion, but it is not fully implemented everywhere: spectators are still allowed in some states, albeit fewer than usual. According to the draft, this is now to be standardized – the federal states want to develop a joint model for this by February 9th.
The prime ministers of the federal states are currently negotiating with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) about the further course of corona policy. The draft resolution reflects the status on which the countries have previously agreed among themselves. (01/24/2022)
Union calls for central vaccination register
The Union in the Bundestag is calling for a vaccination register to be created, regardless of a possible extension of the corona vaccination requirement. In order to make the vaccination campaigns better, to get a better overview and to control the pandemic more specifically, there is no getting around a vaccination register, said the deputy parliamentary group leader Andrea Lindholz (CSU). It is also about the enforcement and control of compulsory vaccination. In the case of facility-related vaccination requirements, legal problems have been shifted to employers. That is not expedient with a general obligation to vaccinate, said Lindholz.
Health politician Sepp Müller (CDU) announced that the Union faction wanted to specify its demand for compulsory vaccination later in the week. On Wednesday, the Bundestag will discuss general corona vaccination for the first time in an orientation debate. From March 15th, the facility-related vaccination requirement that has already been decided will apply to staff in the health and care sector. The deputies should now decide whether this vaccination requirement will be extended to other population groups.
There is talk of compulsory vaccination for all adults over the age of 18 and compulsory vaccination for groups particularly at risk from Covid-19, for example for all citizens over the age of 50. However, parts of the Bundestag are also against any extension of the vaccination requirement, including members of the FDP, who have drawn up a motion against the vaccination requirement. For the vote in the Bundestag, the so-called faction constraint is to be lifted.
For the Union faction, Müller announced that she would position herself uniformly or at least with a large majority for a proposal. The CDU and CSU have repeatedly criticized the fact that the coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP does not want to submit its own draft, but leaves the decision-making solely to the Bundestag. According to Lindholz, it is still unclear how the Union will position itself. The parliamentary group is in the “orientation phase”, also because many questions about implementation and enforcement have not yet been answered by the traffic light coalition. (01/24/2022)
Politicians from the CSU and FDP are calling for a timetable for easing
In the light of the further skyrocketing number of corona infections, the heads of the federal and state governments are discussing how to proceed in the pandemic. A video conference between the prime ministers and Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) began around 3 p.m. There are already indications that they want to maintain their current course: No tightening of the previous measures, but no relaxation for the time being. However, there are likely to be changes to the now rare PCR tests, which should no longer be used for all suspected cases, but only for risk groups and hospital and nursing staff.
The contagious omicron variant is currently causing the number of infections to rise rapidly. Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) expects the peak with several hundred thousand newly infected people every day in mid-February. Despite the skyrocketing number of corona infections, politicians from the FDP and CSU are demanding a plan from the federal and state leaders advising on Monday for future relaxation of the protective measures.
CSU regional group chief Alexander Dobrindt said world, he expects a clever strategy from the round of prime ministers with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to “move out of the pandemic bit by bit”. It is clear that the Omicron variant changes the situation and requires a new assessment. “Fatigue effects in society” must also be taken into account, according to the CSU politician. Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann (FDP) said in Anne Will’s ARD program that when the peak of the omicron wave expected for mid-February has passed and the numbers in hospitals have also fallen, the measures would have to be relaxed. This is self-evident.
The chairman of the Prime Ministers’ Conference, NRW Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU), pointed out the sharp increase in the number of infections on RTL and ntv. “The core message is now: no loosening!” However, all decisions must be proportionate. In the draft resolution for the federal-state consultations, which according to the German Press Agency reflects the status as of Sunday 6 p.m., it only says: “The federal and state governments will develop opening perspectives for the moment when an overload of the health system can be ruled out can be.” (01/24/2022)
Corona highs in Israel: half a million active cases
More than half a million of the more than nine million Israelis are currently infected with the corona virus. The number of active cases is more than 531,000, the Israeli Ministry of Health said. More than 83,000 new cases were reported within 24 hours – more than at any time since the pandemic began two years ago. Experts assume that the actual number of new infections is significantly higher. The number of seriously ill patients is 814.
The expert Eran Segal from the Weizmann Institute in Rechovot assumes that Israel has reached the peak of the omicron wave. “I expect the number of cases to fall this week, we’re already seeing that among the over-60s,” the government adviser told the ynet news site. The number of seriously ill people will initially continue to rise. He estimated that three million Israelis – about a third of the population – have already been infected with the omicron variant.
Only 63 percent of the 9.4 million Israelis are still considered fully vaccinated. In Israel, this includes people who have been vaccinated twice up to six months after the second vaccination and people who have received a booster vaccination. 29 percent of the population have not been vaccinated at all, and the validity of the vaccination has expired for eight percent. Almost 600,000 people in Israel have already received a fourth dose of the vaccine. (01/24/2022)
Berlin suspends attendance at schools
In view of the increasing number of corona infections due to the Omicron variant, compulsory attendance at Berlin schools has been temporarily suspended. From Tuesday, parents can decide for themselves whether their child goes to school or works and learns at home on tasks and projects, as Senator for Education Astrid-Sabine Busse (SPD) announced. This initially applies until the end of February.
The face-to-face teaching remains the “regular form”, it was added in a statement from the education administration. “Schools will make learning opportunities available to all students as far as possible. If parents decide against their child being present at school, the school must be informed immediately and informally in writing.” (01/24/2022)
Seven-day incidence rises to 840.3
In Germany, the number of infections detected increases by 63,393, according to data on the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) website. A week ago there were 34,145 infections. The seven-day incidence is 840.3. For comparison: the previous day the value was 806.8, in the previous week on Monday it was 528.2 and on the same day of the previous month it was 222.7. Experts expect more and more cases that cannot be recorded, partly because test capacities and health authorities are increasingly at their limit.
According to the RKI, the number of deaths has increased by 28 to a total of 116,746. A total of 8,744,840 infections with Sars-CoV-2 have been detected since the beginning of the pandemic. The actual total number is likely to be significantly higher, as many infections go undetected. (01/24/2022)
At least 70 arrests in Brussels
Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in Brussels against the Corona requirements – sometimes with violence. 50,000 people gathered in downtown Brussels on Sunday, as a police spokeswoman for the German Press Agency confirmed. The spokeswoman said that six people were arrested before the demonstration began for possession of dangerous or prohibited items.
A total of at least 70 people were arrested, among other things, for property damage or carrying dangerous or illegal objects, according to a police statement. Three police officers and twelve demonstrators were taken to the hospital with injuries, nobody is in danger of life. Prime Minister Alexander De Croo strongly condemned the riots. “Everyone is free to express their opinion. But our society will never tolerate blind violence,” said De Croo, according to the Belga news agency.
The demonstrators marched from the Nordbahnhof to the Europaviertel, where riots broke out, as Belga and other media reported. Accordingly, demonstrators threw objects at police officers and damaged buildings. The police used tear gas and water cannons to force those involved away. Videos showed broken windows of the European External Action Service building. According to the police, the demonstration was broken up at 3 p.m.
According to a Belga report, the demonstrators held flags from different countries such as Germany, France and Poland, many did not wear masks. According to the information, signs contained slogans against the corona vaccination and calls to “protect” children. According to Belga, the demonstration was organized by various European groups. (01/23/2022)