Olaf Scholz and the First Ministers from Germany’s federal states gathered in Berlin to talk about the Russian war against Ukraine and its implications, but also about Corona. The Federal Republic is supposed to be prepared for a possible increase of infection numbers in the cold season.
Berlin, June 3rd, 2022 (The Berlin Spectator) — In the past two years, former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Corona conferences with the Governors from Germany’s sixteen states took place online because of the dangers posed by the virus they discussed. Merkel’s successor Olaf Scholz did it the same way for a while. But for this latest conference, the First Ministers showed up at the chancellery in person. After the gathering, Scholz said it had been some kind of a “family meeting”.
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Ukraine and Corona
Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its ramifications for Germany were discussed along with the question how Germany can help Ukraine further. Independence from Russian oil and natural gas was on the agenda too. So were the high energy costs and the inflation many Germans are struggling with. Then, the Chancellor, thirteen First Ministers, two First Mayors and one Governing Mayor talked about Corona.
Scholz stated Germany needed to have all options [necessary to deal with the pandemic]. He was referring to Germany’s amended Infection Protection Act and the fact that most anti-Corona measures were lifted a few weeks ago. A new version of the law might be needed in fall, if the situation deteriorates again, as it has in the fall of 2020 and after the summer of last year. The current version of the Infection Protection Act expires in September.
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Schools and Kindergartens
Scholz said Germany was running on summer tires right now. Now, the country needed to make sure it had the right winter tires. Neither Scholz nor the heads of government in the federal states want to close schools and kindergartens again. But the states want to give people the right to get tested for Corona free of charge in the future as well. Decisions are supposed to be taken once the federal government’s Corona Expert Council comes up with suggestions. This is supposed to happen next week.
“We do not want the kind of back and forth between lockdowns and the easing of Corona rules we had in the past”, Hendrik Wüst, the Governor of North Rhine-Westphalia and chairman of the Conference of First Ministers, said after the meeting at the chancellery. “We all wish the pandemic was over. But it isn’t.” This was why preparations for the fall and winter were necessary.
Bad Numbers
Germany’s latest Coronavirus infection numbers do not look too good. On Monday of this week, the Seven Day Incidence had slumped down to 189.0, the lowest level since early November of 2021. Then, the level increased again. Today, it stands at 261.3. More than 42,000 new infections were registered in the past 24 hours. Since yesterday, 91 Corona patients died.
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ALL CORONA CHRONOLOGIES:
Corona Chronology for Germany, 2022
Corona Chronology for Germany, 2021
Corona Chronology for Germany, 2020
[…] Olaf Scholz and the First Ministers from Germany’s federal states talk about the need to be prepared for rising Corona infection numbers in fall. They intend to take decisions once the governments Corona Expert Panel comes up with […]