The call for stricter corona controls for holiday returnees is getting louder. With a view to the rapid spread of the more contagious Delta variant in Germany, more and more state heads of government are urging to tighten test and quarantine rules when entering from abroad. “These samples, which are currently being implemented by the Federal Police, are not sufficient,” said Berlin’s Governing Mayor Michael Müller (SPD) on ZDF.
Hamburg’s First Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD) criticized the fact that when entering from risk areas, a single, simple antigen test is currently sufficient to avoid quarantine. “It’s too unsafe,” he said world. Instead, all non-vaccinated travelers returning from risk areas and high-incidence areas should go into quarantine, which should not be lifted until after five days at the earliest if the PCR test is negative.
Berlin’s Prime Minister Müller expressed himself in a similar way. “You can check on arrival: who has the corresponding negative test evidence? And then after a certain quarantine period, check with a new test that you are really negative,” said the SPD politician on Sunday evening on ZDF.
Bavaria’s Health Minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU) had previously requested that vacationers at the borders be closely checked for vaccination cards and negative corona tests. Backing came from Lower Saxony’s Prime Minister Stephan Weil: “I expressly support the demand for controls at the borders to see whether there are current negative tests. This is exactly what has been lacking so far,” said the SPD politician world. Weil also called for a double test for all returnees who are not fully vaccinated.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) had already warned: “International trips must not lead to more people becoming infected and carrying the virus home.”
The Federal Government regularly assesses the corona situation abroad and distinguishes between virus variant areas in which variants classified as worrying are spreading, high incidence areas with a seven-day incidence of over 200 and risk areas with over 50. So far, only returnees from high-risk, high-incidence are subject – and virus variant areas test obligations. Due to the falling number of infections, however, numerous holiday areas in Europe have recently fallen off the list of risk areas. Those who return to Germany from there by land no longer have to observe any entry restrictions. For air travelers, however, a general test obligation still applies. (28.06.2021)
RKI: seven-day incidence at 5.6
The health authorities in Germany reported 219 new corona infections to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) within one day. This is based on figures from Monday morning, which reflect the status of the RKI dashboard at 4:24 a.m. For comparison: a week ago the value was 346 infections. The RKI gave the seven-day incidence nationwide as 5.6 (previous day: 5.7; previous week: 8.6).
According to the information, eight new deaths were recorded across Germany within 24 hours. A week ago there were ten dead. (28.06.2021)
Statutory health insurance: Continue to use sick leave by telephone
In view of the rapid spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus, the statutory health insurances (GKV) are calling on citizens to continue to be on sick leave if possible and to use video consultation hours. “We have to worry about the new variants,” said the head of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds, Doris Pfeiffer Editorial network Germany. “That is why it must continue to be about avoiding contagion.” To this end, regulations have been created in the health insurance system to avoid contact, such as telephone sick leave or video consultation hours. “We should continue to be very careful, despite the progress in vaccination.”
Thanks to a special pandemic regulation, patients with mild respiratory illnesses can have up to seven days’ sick leave by telephone. In mid-June, the Federal Joint Committee extended the regulation for a further three months to September 30th.
In contrast to Federal Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD), the umbrella association of statutory health insurance companies does not expect that the tax subsidy decided by the federal government for the coming year will be sufficient for the funds. “The federal government has to step up,” said Pfeiffer. “We are assuming that the additional seven billion euros that have been promised will not even begin to suffice,” she emphasized. According to their information, the umbrella association expects a minus of around 15 billion euros in the coming year. (28.06.2021)
Federal government gives organizers hope for a new start in autumn
About a year and a half after the first lockdown in spring 2020, there could be a restart for the event industry in the fall. “With the increasing vaccination rate, I am confident, despite new virus variants, that we will soon return to normal,” said State Secretary for Economic Affairs Thomas Bareiß (CDU) World on sunday.
Of course, the visitors would have to be vaccinated or tested. “When everyone has received a vaccination offer, there is no longer any reason why events with 10,000 visitors or more should not be possible again.” It could be so far in late autumn. He wants to work for the most uniform rules possible in the federal states. Vaccination refusers may then have to stay outside. “Anyone who claims the freedom not to be vaccinated or tested must also accept the organizer’s entrepreneurial freedom not to let him in,” said Bareiß.
Sales in the concert and event industry fell by 80 percent last year compared to 2019. For this year, the Federal Association of the Concert and Event Industry is even anticipating a 98 percent decline compared to 2019. “A total of almost eleven billion euros in revenue would then be lost,” says association president Jens Michow World on sunday. (27.06.2021)
Experts also recommend vaccination for those who have recovered
According to experts, vaccination for recovered corona patients makes sense even if the antibody level is high. One can assume that in six months there will usually be very good protection for all people who have gone through Covid, but the development will be different, said the President of the Paul Ehrlich Institute, Klaus Cichutek, in a panel discussion in Berlin.
“There are people for whom there are relatively low values at the beginning and who then also decrease relatively quickly; for other people it is different.” It is not yet entirely clear in detail what exactly protects against Covid-19. “That’s why I would advise against simply orienting myself to the antibody level.” A one-time vaccination after recovery ensures that there is full protection.
“There may be people who have antibodies in their blood, but these antibodies do not protect at all,” said the President of the Robert Koch Institute, Lothar Wieler. Others have protection, although no antibodies can be detected in them. In any case, vaccinated convalescents would have very good immune protection. (26.06.2021)
Spahn announces more vaccine for July and August
The supply of Covid-19 vaccine in Germany will improve significantly in the coming weeks, according to Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn. For example, Moderna will deliver twice as much vaccine as expected in July / August, said the CDU politician on Saturday in Berlin. In the coming week there would also be a million cans from Johnson & Johnson, “which were still available at short notice”. A large delivery from Astrazeneca and Biontech is also pending.
“In the first week of July we will deliver almost five million doses to the vaccination centers in the various countries. We have never seen this scale,” said Spahn. “By the end of July, every adult in Germany who wants to be vaccinated will have received a first vaccination; if the deliveries continue like this, maybe a little earlier,” said the health minister.
The President of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Lothar Wieler, called for the vaccination not to let up. This is the “most powerful tool” against the pandemic. “We are talking about more than 80 percent of the people who live in our country,” said Wieler when asked how many people should be vaccinated. (26.06.2021)
Minister of Education: no guarantee for open schools
Federal Minister of Education Anja Karliczek does not rule out school closings due to corona measures in the coming school year, but is optimistic that they can be avoided. RTL / NTV said the CDU politician: “I am very optimistic that we can start off well and that we will then (…) be able to keep schools open for as long as possible”. No one can give a guarantee, she added. “Because we don’t know what these mutations that are on the move in the world are still going to do with us.”
Compared to last summer, however, there are now the advantages of vaccination, tests and good hygiene concepts. “The top priority is classroom teaching and we are doing everything we can to ensure that we can maintain it for as long as possible,” said Karliczek. Overall, she was “very optimistic” that everything was going well. Even if there is a virus variant where the vaccine does not work 100 percent, he ensures that the disease is no longer quite as severe. (06/26/2021)