Chancellor Olaf Scholz (63, SPD) has taken the lead in corona crisis management.
For the first time, ER was the main character at a federal-state summit, which on Thursday was essentially about fighting the corona crisis. And, according to information from BILD, at the end of the meeting Scholz made a fiery appeal to the prime ministers. Namely, that the pandemic is far from over:
“I ask everyone not to stop, but to continue planning and thinking,” said Scholz according to the participants. It is time to act instead of discussing. The Chancellor continues:
“It doesn’t stop in March!”
Scholz said after the MPK that as many people as possible had themselves vaccinated and boosted.
That is why Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (58, SPD) was commissioned to do a vaccine inventory: to see how much vaccine is available when, which deliveries are due when and where additional doses can be reordered.
Lauterbach himself emphasized in the Bund-Länder group that on New Year’s Eve, at most, small celebrations with a maximum of 50 people were possible. The situation is simply too serious for more.
Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (44, FDP) announced that the facility-related vaccination requirement will come into force this week. The general compulsory vaccination would come – as planned – by the end of February after detailed consultation in the Bundestag.
There were no specific corona resolutions on Thursday.
The reason: The resolutions of the last MPK are not yet in force, but will most likely be decided by the Bundestag on Friday in the form of an amendment to the Infection Protection Act.
“Where we have decided to initiate a whole series of legal changes that should help ensure that the countries have a good and strong set of instruments”, explained Scholz at the press conference after the meeting.
The fact is: the federal and state governments are not planning any additional corona restrictions over the Christmas holidays for the time being.
With the help of a council of experts, the Scholz government wants to have the corona situation currently monitored. “There we expect advice for our own work,” explained Scholz. The group of experts is due to start work this week.
► Scholz’s promise: “If, from all the insights we draw from it, an urgent need for action arises, then we will too. So we won’t wait, we will meet quickly as soon as something has to be decided. “
The Chancellor spoke of “good advice on the corona situation” and the “common will to act quickly and decisively”.
NRW-Wüst wants to rely more on corona drugs
MPK boss and NRW Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) underlined the importance of a joint federal and state strategy for the procurement of corona drugs after the federal-state round.
“It is always crucial that treatment is given early, not just when people with shortness of breath go to the doctor,” said Wüst at the press conference after the MPK. Educational work is necessary for this. He also called for speed with the approvals and funding for drug research in this area.
A common drug strategy could be a “second pillar” in addition to vaccination in order to prevent particularly severe disease progression and overloading of the intensive care units.
The governing Mayor of Berlin Michael Müller (SPD) said it was not necessary to dig in for Christmas. “You can meet family and friends.” If people act prudently, protect themselves and others, things are possible. But this is the prerequisite for this.
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