Corona in Germany: Angela Merkel advocates a cautious opening strategy

According to SPIEGEL information, Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) has pleaded for a cautious strategy for possible openings in view of the concerns of a third corona wave. Opening steps would have to be cleverly introduced coupled with increased tests, said Merkel, according to participants in online consultations of the CDU presidium.  The  citizens are longing for an opening strategy, she understands.

Merkel made it clear that she saw three areas for which packages of an opening strategy had to be put together. On the one hand it is about the area of ​​personal contacts, on the other hand it is about schools and vocational schools as well as a third package with sports groups, restaurants and culture.

 The  aim is to put together packages to make opening possible and then adapt, she was quoted as saying.

From this Tuesday on, according to this information, a working group with Chancellor Helge Braun (CDU) and the heads of the state chancelleries of the federal states will meet on the subject of openings.

 The  next Prime Minister’s Conference with the Chancellor, planned for March 3, is to be prepared.

 The  aim is then to present plans for possible opening steps. Braun said, according to information from participants in the CDU presidium, the mutations of the corona virus unfortunately destroyed the good development in Germany.

 The  presidium also discussed the possibility of how family and company doctors could be involved in vaccinations, it said. Health Minister Jens Spahn has made it clear that this only makes sense if, as with the flu vaccination, 3 to 5 million vaccine doses are available per week. Overall, the assumption of costs by the federal government, which is planned from March 1, could help with the corona tests. He made it clear that the first approvals for self-tests will be available from next week. According to SPIEGEL information, Spahn said he had offers from drugstore chains for rapid tests on the table.

 The  curve of new infections showed up for the fourth day in a row on Sunday – despite the lockdown that has been in place since mid-December. On Monday, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported hardly any change: within one day the health authorities reported 4,369 new infections, a week ago it had been 4,426. At the same time, however, the number of new infections reported within seven days per 100,000 inhabitants (seven-day incidence) continued to rise, to 61.0 nationwide.

 The  day before it was still at 60.2.