On the sidelines of an EU meeting, Health Minister Lauterbach commented on the corona situation in Germany. There must be a discussion about easing. He also finds clear words for truck demonstrations.
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach expects a debate on easing at the next federal and state corona meeting.
It is clear that there must also be a discussion about easing on Wednesday, said the SPD politician on the sidelines of an EU meeting in Grenoble, France. At the same time, he warned that one should “not relax too quickly”. “We continue to have increasing numbers of cases like we’ve never had before.” If you relax so much that the number of cases increases significantly, you will unnecessarily prolong the pandemic. This is neither good for the economy nor for health.
Because of the low vaccination rate among the elderly, the following applies in Germany: “Higher incidence and more people die.” It is wishful thinking to believe that the incidences can be increased, but there are no additional deaths. “We just don’t have the vaccination rate for that. And it didn’t come overnight either.” The federal and state governments want to discuss the further course of the pandemic next Wednesday. The FDP recently called for far-reaching easing.
Relaxation “well before Easter”
Lauterbach did not want to say on Thursday what easing he himself thinks is possible. “I always find it distressing when such measures are discussed publicly,” said the minister. There are appropriate committees to which he will contribute. So far, Lauterbach had promised easing “well before Easter”. At the same time he warned against opening steps like in Israel. Then there would be 400 to 500 deaths a day in Germany instead of 100 to 150 at the moment.
This number is based on a model from the Robert Koch Institute, which can be used to assume different incidences, Lauterbach said on Thursday. “These different incidences then lead to the corresponding number of deaths per day.” At the same time, the numbers from Israel can be extrapolated. “If we now had incidences of 3,500 or 4,000 or even higher, then of course the number of deaths would increase accordingly,” said Lauterbach. “Sadly, that’s the way it is because we have it: this high number of older unvaccinated people.”
Lauterbach: Truck demonstrations are problematic
Lauterbach thinks little of the truck demonstrations against corona measures that are currently spilling over from Canada to Europe. This movement is problematic. “The state must stand up when it comes to protecting people who are vulnerable.”
It’s not just about the elderly, but also about people with immune diseases. “These people deserve our protection. And it is unacceptable that we do not guarantee this protection just because there are convoys, illegal convoys, on the street of self-righteous people from whom we cannot learn much.” The state should not allow itself to be blackmailed. You shouldn’t leave the elderly and unprotected people at risk because you’re afraid of the protesters.
In Canada, thousands of people have been demonstrating against corona measures and vaccination regulations for days. With trucks and other vehicles, they blocked, among other things, parts of downtown Ottawa. Paris and Brussels have already banned such demos based on the Canadian model.
Source: Stern
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