Corona easing: Jens Spahn on step-by-step plan: “It just doesn’t work”

 The  number of new corona infections has fallen and the discussion about easing is picking up speed. While some insist on a step-by-step plan out of lockdown, Health Minister Jens Spahn holds against it.

After the number of corona cases had fallen for weeks, they have now stagnated for a few days. In some places, a new increase is reported due to the spread of the new variants. This is making discussions about step-by-step plans to relax the lockdown louder. Long-term prospects in particular are required. However, Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn has a clear answer: “Everyone wants a three- and six-month plan, but that’s just not possible. I think we shouldn’t make any false promises,” said the CDU politician on Sunday evening in the ARD broadcast “Report from Berlin”.

Spahn: “ The  truth is: an incidence of less than ten is pretty far away”

First of all, in view of the increasing spread of virus mutations, he wants to wait and see how the opening of further schools and daycare centers will affect this Monday, said Spahn. “It makes sense, together – that’s the conversation with the federal states – to define the stages from when the next step can be taken. But the truth is: an incidence of less than 10, at least in most regions in Germany pretty far away, “said Spahn.

As he said, Spahn wants to talk to the health ministers of the federal states on Monday about the required higher prioritization of primary school and daycare staff for vaccination. She is his goal. He expects the process to take up to a week.

 The  Prime Minister of the federal states and Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) issued a corresponding test order at their last meeting on February 10th.

 The  demand was also made from the federal states and teachers’ associations.

Müller wants to make a suggestion

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Prime Minister’s Conference Michael Müller (SPD) announced that the step-by-step plan promised by the federal and state governments for further steps in the corona pandemic should not only be based on the number of new infections. “

 The  incidence value remains important, but an R-value well below 1 and a falling utilization of intensive care medicine will be important criteria for the next easing step,” said Berlin’s governing mayor of the “Stuttgarter Zeitung” and the “Stuttgarter Nachrichten” (Monday).

Governing Mayor of Berlin, Michael Müller: He wants to make a proposal that not only focuses on incidences, but also on time. (Source: Emmanuele Contini / imago images)

 The  mean seven-day incidence value indicates the number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants per week. According to the figures reported by the Robert Koch Institute, it was 60.2 on Sunday morning – with an upward trend. Müller announced “a proposal without the values ​​10 or 25” for the new week, as some have suggested. Rather, his draft will focus on periods with infection rates below 35 or 50. “If the federal states achieve these incidences stable over several weeks, further steps in culture and gastronomy can follow.”

In view of the increase in the number of cases over the weekend and the risk of virus mutations, he made it clear that the step-by-step plan was “not a one-way street in the direction of relaxation”.

 The  SPD politician said: “If necessary, we will have to adopt restrictions again if the numbers rise sharply again, as in other European countries.”

Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder also pleaded for a regulated process in the ZDF program “Berlin direkt”. He rejected criticism of his course. In a national comparison, Bavaria has come from number one with the most new infections and has reached eleventh place. “Everything we did was successful.” And: “

 The  vast majority of the population is behind a consistent and sensible course”. He went on to say that it is therefore everyone’s responsibility to show empathy and “do what is reasonable”.

 The  heads of government of the federal states and Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) confirmed on February 10th that they wanted to develop an opening strategy.