Status: 02/16/2022 11:24 a.m
Due to the Omicron wave, many staff shortages in critical infrastructure and in companies were feared. But according to information from authorities and companies, the situation has so far been relaxed in many places – also thanks to the protection concepts.
Anyone who has to call the police or the fire brigade in North Rhine-Westphalia can assume that the helpers will come as quickly as ever. This is confirmed by the Ministry of the Interior in Düsseldorf on request. “There are currently no indications that the authorities’ operational capability could be impaired due to Corona. If Omikron causes major staff shortages, the emergency services can be shifted regionally at any time,” said Markus Niesczery, the spokesman responsible for police affairs in the ministry.
The situation is being closely monitored. In an emergency, you can also request additional forces from the riot police or extend working hours. Police officers are currently working in fixed teams wherever possible in order to avoid mixing up the staff. According to the NRW Ministry of the Interior, it is similar with the fire brigade. Here, too, fixed groups have been formed that have no mutual contact in order to rule out infections.
Heavy burden for Red Cross rescue workers
The German Red Cross does not assess the situation nationwide as positively. It sees a heavy burden on the rescue workers in the ongoing pandemic. Despite a vaccination rate of more than 95 percent, the number of infections among the emergency services is increasing, and there are many staff shortages. The number of infection transports by the rescue service has increased many times over in the past few months. “Necessary hygiene and protective measures require more time and effort. This includes wearing special protective equipment and working with an FFP2 mask, but also cleaning and disinfecting the entire ambulance after each operation; the latter is time-consuming and takes up to an hour each time “, reports DRK spokeswoman Christina Wandel-Sucker.
Another problem: The pandemic has created an additional shortage of free beds. As a result, the ways to the emergency room are further, the operations lasted significantly longer.
Fixed teams were also formed at the DRK, which are accommodated in different rooms as far as possible, reports the spokeswoman: “Shift changes sometimes take place outside the guards, so that there is no longer any contact between individual shifts.” In some cases, additional premises were also rented.
The German professional association for emergency services still speaks of a relaxed situation overall. The association has calculated that there will be a significant increase in the consumption of special protective materials. “These are usually not refinanced, and there are also much more frequent handover delays in the clinics due to infection control measures. As a result, rescue equipment is often only available after a delay,” says Marco König, chairman of the association.
Separate shifts, closed canteens
Businesses also seem to be getting through the Omicron wave reasonably well. The Vonovia housing company is still able to cushion sick leave by changing capacity planning, it says. And according to the chemical company BASF, there are no major problems either. Production shifts would be strictly separated, and reserve staff would be held in the shifts. The canteens are closed, face-to-face meetings are limited to three people. “Despite these protective measures, we do not know exactly how the next few weeks will go. Because the pandemic situation is still dynamic and requires us to act very cautiously,” says Uwe Liebelt, Plant Manager at BASF.
Telekom reports slight delays in the provision of new connections, as there may be failures at contracted civil engineering companies, or approvals from the responsible authorities could be delayed. However, the stability of the networks is not restricted.
Significant increase in the number of cases
BMW is observing a significant increase in the number of corona cases at all locations. However, there are currently no failures to register that would endanger regular business operations. The protection concept has been further adapted. “Presence in the company must be kept to the necessary minimum. We also strongly recommend that those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered carry out regular self-tests to protect the entire workforce. Physical meetings should be avoided as far as possible,” said a company spokeswoman.
Volkswagen also reports an increase in corona cases. “We can currently still cushion the associated absences, so that there are only very isolated effects on sub-areas of production. For example, due to increased incidences on a total of four days in February at the main plant in Wolfsburg, one shift will be eliminated on two assembly lines,” said spokeswoman Alexandra Bakir.
Authorities and companies have therefore adapted to the Omicron wave within the framework of the currently applicable federal and state regulations. At the moment, this seems to ensure a comparatively relaxed situation. However, forecasts on the consequences of possible opening steps by the federal states are currently difficult.