The Corona crisis team warns the government of the high number of cases. Nevertheless, she lets the protective measures expire. Why is there such a big gap between knowledge and action? Crisis staff chief Carsten Breuer discussed this with the star spoken.
It seems like the pandemic is coming to an end. The sun is shining, the temperatures are becoming more spring-like every day and the federal government is phasing out the corona protection measures. The statistics from the Robert Koch Institute say something completely different. The number of cases has been increasing for weeks and have recently reached new records since the beginning of the pandemic. For the first time, the RKI counts 1.5 million cases within a week.
It is the task of the Corona crisis team to counteract this effectively and to coordinate the protection of the population. Since November 2021 it has been headed by Major General Carsten Breuer. In conversation with the star he talked about the upcoming autumn, his corona infections and Easter presents.
Major General Breuer, how hard do you have to fight to get the Federal Government’s attention to your area of responsibility, especially in view of the war in Ukraine? Is the fight against the pandemic falling under the table?
I don’t think it falls under the table. And it’s not about two crises competing with each other. We soldiers are trained in such a way that we can see and deal with several situations at the same time. Of course, it is now important not to lose sight of the corona crisis because of the attack on Ukraine. However, when I look at the decisions and discussions, I don’t have the feeling that this is happening either.
How long will the Corona crisis team still exist if the protective measures are abolished?
The crisis team still has its task. We make a daily assessment of the situation and when I look at the incidences of today and last week, I dare say that the situation will not improve significantly in the coming weeks.
But how long will it take the crisis team? Can you give a time period or even a date?
Counter question: How long will this crisis last? A crisis management team is always suitable for setting a particular focus and consolidating information and the coordination of measures. As long as we are still so acutely concerned with this crisis, we will also need a crisis management team. We are definitely not superfluous.
How disappointing do you think the federal government’s decision to abolish the measures is? Do you have the feeling that the seriousness of the situation is being misunderstood, even though you present it to those responsible every day?
When I took over the crisis management team in November, the Federal Chancellor said very clearly what our task was. He wanted us to take a look at the vaccination and test logistics, that we take care of the transfer of patients in Germany and, above all, that we look at the sustainability of our measures. Those were the first four plot lines. Then there was the critical infrastructure and communication. That’s a remarkable spectrum on which we are concentrating.
And sustainability means?
What about next fall? How can we ensure that we are well prepared even then? Are the measures we are taking now the right ones and how will we get through the autumn with them? In view of the current situation, however, I can only point out again and again that we are far from leaving Corona behind us, even if we would like to believe that. And I can only encourage everyone to take the protective measures that are necessary. Looking ahead to fall, I advise getting vaccinated to be prepared for the next wave.
The Federal Chancellor had formulated several ambitious goals for this. The goal of 30 million vaccinations by the end of 2021 was achieved, but not the next vaccination target. How satisfied are you with your work in your first 100 days in office?
When the vaccination target was set, I swallowed and wondered if that was really realistic. That was ambitious. But through tremendous effort and great solidarity from those who built all the infrastructure and those who got vaccinated, we managed to reach the 30 million mark. It fills me with pride that we now have a vaccination infrastructure in which everyone can now be vaccinated easily. Unlike in December, you no longer have to wait for an appointment.
But hardly anyone seems to be interested in that right now. Vaccination is not progressing. Once again.
If people don’t want to be vaccinated, we can only convince them with information. We also do this in our campaign. But we have to make it clearer again why it is important to get vaccinated now. Recently I was on the phone with an acquaintance who didn’t want to be boosted. He wanted to wait for an adapted vaccine, he said. I reminded him that he was fine with the first two shots and that it would be better to be protected now than to wait and put yourself at risk.
Were you able to convince him?
We discussed a little. In the end he said he would give his wife the third vaccination for Easter.
However, many people do not want to be vaccinated because they see that people who have been vaccinated twice and triple vaccinated also fall ill with Corona. How are you going to convince them?
I myself got infected twice – once before you could even get vaccinated and again two weeks ago. It wasn’t easy in either case, but I noticed that my course was much milder after the vaccination. This is my personal experience, but you can also look at it statistically. Vaccination protects – not against illness, but against a severe course and death. I think these are enough arguments that should motivate vaccination.
Like your friend, many others are probably waiting for an adapted vaccine. Have the vaccine manufacturers boycotted political communication with their promise to deliver a new preparation?
If you put it that way, then the virus has again made our communication strategy or communication difficult. It is clear that a vaccine manufacturer also has to react if the active substance no longer works as intended. But that is a hallmark of this pandemic. We learn more about the virus every day.
The new thing about your crisis team is that it is based directly in the Chancellery. Your predecessor was still subordinate to the Ministry of Health. Does this give you an advantage?
Having the Corona crisis team in the Chancellery makes it easier for everyone involved to implement and implement measures. Coordination between the ministries and the federal states was much more difficult before.
They sit so closely with the government, continuing to urge caution while the government lifts all measures. Why is there such a big gap between knowledge and action?
Minister Lauterbach and I do not differ in our view of the autumn and the current situation. We coordinate, we inform each other. I understand that the public likes to hear something different and longs for summer normality. But we cannot ignore the current threat of the virus.
But that’s getting less and less popular with the general public.
I see that of course. But everyone knows the numbers and sees the current situation in Germany. Ultimately, it is everyone’s job to deal with it properly. Personally, I only go to the supermarket with a mask now and also wear it on the train. But everyone has to decide for themselves whether they belong more to Team Caution or whether they want to take an unnecessary risk.
Where would you place the federal government? Team caution or team freedom?
Everyone here has an eye on the current situation, the upcoming summer and, above all, autumn. This is monitored and evaluated very closely. Isn’t it much more important to ask ourselves which team we want to belong to?
At the moment it looks more like further easing, the free tests should expire at the end of May. How do you feel about this? And will the infrastructure remain in place so that we can test again free of charge in the fall if necessary?
This is similar to the vaccination centers. We will need them in autumn, especially when a new virus and a new wave come. If we don’t need the centers in a certain phase, then they can be put to sleep, but always in such a way that they can be revived in a very short time.
So you are expecting a new variant in autumn?
I’m someone who thinks worst case scenarios. It is clear that there will be another wave. We just don’t know exactly how it will develop. I always prepare for the worst case – which doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s also the most likely case. But if I’m prepared for the worst case scenario, I can handle everything else.
Source: Stern
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