“Now nobody can play the offended liverwurst,” says Karl Lauterbach. The health minister is asking countries to implement “hotspot” rules where necessary.
Berlin – The number of infections with the corona virus * in Germany is higher than ever. In the past few days, new highs in the seven-day incidence have been reported regularly. On Monday (March 21) it rose again after a one-day decline. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the value is currently 1714.2. Nevertheless, extensive relaxation of the corona virus came into force on Sunday (March 20). Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD)* has now defended it again and called on the federal states to implement the new legal basis.
Corona loosening: Lauterbach sees “legal limits” on infection protection
“We cannot continue to limit the liberties of the entire population just because ten percent of those over 60 are not ready to be vaccinated,” said Lauterbach on Sunday evening in the ARD “Report from Berlin”. Since the people in the Omikron wave could protect themselves with masks and now also with vaccinations*, the freedom of others should no longer be restricted as much as before, the Minister of Health also explained in an interview with the Tagesspiegel .
At the same time, Lauterbach admitted that the easing was “a legal, not a pandemic assessment”. “Of course, from a medical point of view, it is sad and bitter when people become seriously ill or die. I try to prevent that where I can,” he said. “But that has legal limits.” Modeler and physicist Dirk Brockmann made an auto comparison* in view of the new rules.
Corona loosening: Lauterbach calls for implementation of the “hotspot” option – “mask requirement saved”
The protective measures did not expire now, but continued in many federal states for a transitional period of two weeks until April 2nd, explained Lauterbach. It could be that the number of cases would then already be more stable or fall – if not, conditions in “hotspots” could even be tightened.
Lauterbach pointed out that the mask requirement in many federal states continued to apply until April 2nd. “And for the time after that, they have the opportunity to choose new rules based on the new Infection Protection Act,” he said. “So it’s exactly the opposite of what it looks like to the outside world: the Infection Protection Act saved the obligation to wear a mask,” said the Minister of Health to the Tagesspiegel .
Lauterbach: “Now nobody can play the offended liverwurst”
The federal government made the changes to the law for the first time without involving the states. This was not well received by some representatives at the Corona MPK last Thursday (March 17). Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) accused the traffic light government of “bad style”.
However, Lauterbach appealed to the federal states in the ARD “Report from Berlin”: “Now nobody is allowed to play the offended liverwurst and not make themselves a hotspot where it is necessary.” With Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) is it is not disputed that an entire federal state can also be a hotspot. “If a federal state now has a large number of hotspots, then the federal state is made up of hotspots,” explained Lauterbach.
Corona in Germany: Lauterbach calls for vaccination – no benefit cuts
The SPD politician once again called on older people in particular to be vaccinated in view of the high number of infections*. “They are at the highest risk.” Lauterbach again campaigned for general vaccination and for the two drafts in the Bundestag for vaccination from the age of 18 and from the age of 50 to be merged. It is also possible to talk to the Union and to stick together “out of reasons of state”.
In an interview with the Tagesspiegel , Lauterbach also ruled out cuts in medical care given the financial gaps in statutory health insurance. “I have made a decision: I will not delete anything,” said the Minister of Health. “People should know that nobody is coming here to cut their benefits,” he emphasized, with a view to the upcoming budget deliberations in the Bundestag. “I’ll stick with it,” said Lauterbach. (ph with dpa and afp) *Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA
List of rubrics: © Michael Kappeler
