AOn Saturday, in preparation for the upcoming conference of prime ministers, the federal states agreed with the chancellor to extend the current lockdown beyond January 10th. The heads of the state chancelleries, however, did not agree on whether this should initially be decided for two or three weeks. As the FAS learned from participants, the countries particularly badly affected by Corona were for the longer period up to January 31. These included Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Saxony and Thuringia. Bremen, Hamburg or Hesse, on the other hand, tended to make new decisions earlier. It is said that the federal government supports the cautious side.
The dividing lines at schools and kindergartens were similar. The badly affected countries want to keep them closed, the less badly affected are considering reopening kindergartens and schools up to the seventh grade from January 11th. In higher classes, alternating or distance lessons should then be held. On Saturday it was thought possible that different opinions could remain here.
“The lockdown has to be extended until the end of January. Premature loosening would throw us back a long way, “said Bavaria’s Prime Minister of” Bild am Sonntag “. “The numbers are still far too high. The effects of Christmas and New Year’s Eve are not yet foreseeable. ”This could only be assessed precisely in mid-January, said Söder. He sees “no sensible politician” who speaks of early openings. “We have to be consistent and not give up too soon. That was the weakness of the Corona policy in Germany: started too late and stopped too early. “
Tschentscher questions the scientific basis for general school closure
The CSU boss also spoke out in favor of a longer closure of daycare centers and schools – and for an adapted vacation planning: “There must be no hasty opening of schools and daycare centers. In view of the high numbers of infections, it would be irresponsible to simply send teachers and students back to school completely. It has been shown that infection and spread also take place in school. The danger is highest especially after the holidays. ”The many vacationers from risk areas and family returnees caused additional concern.
In view of the number of infections, Thuringia’s Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left) also believes that a quick end to the lockdown is out of the question: “In the near future, our primary goal must be to reduce the number of infections and thus relieve the burden on the health system,” said Ramelow of “Welt am Sonntag.” “. Lower Saxony’s Prime Minister Stephan Weil and Hamburg’s Mayor Peter Tschentscher also see “no reason to give the all-clear” or “major easing”. SPD politician Tschentscher wants to discuss the currently closed schools. He expects “that the federal government will explain on what scientific basis or data basis it is calling for a further blanket closure of daycare centers and schools”.
Carsten Linnemann, Union faction vice-president and head of the SME association, warned “Welt am Sonntag” of the possible long-term consequences: “It is already foreseeable how students from socially disadvantaged families and non-German-speaking households will get out of this crisis. With their parents, there is likely to be a considerable decline in contacts with the majority society. ”The problem of“ parallel societies ”could take on a new quality, said Linnemann.
Realschullehrerverband calls for “clear announcements now”
After the end of the Christmas holidays, according to the German Realschule Teachers Association, clear rules must apply to alternating and distance lessons depending on the number of corona infections. “Face-to-face lessons up to 50, alternating lessons from 50 and distance learning from 100, we would suggest as a benchmark,” said the chairman of the German and Bavarian secondary school teachers’ association, Jürgen Böhm, of the German press agency.
A value of 150 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days can still be discussed. “But we now have to make clear statements about how we will act in the next few weeks and months,” emphasized Böhm. It makes no sense to drive the students tightly packed around the area in buses after the holidays as long as the infection rates are so high.