German problem with coronavirus? To have Czechs and Poles as neighbors

“When someone looks at a map where there are now the most cases of coronavirus infection, one area in particular attracts their attention: the southernmost and easternmost territory of Saxony, ie the Czech and Polish borders,” the German daily writes. time.

All of Saxony had in the last week 322 newly infected per 100 thousand inhabitants. In contrast, in North Rhine-Westphalia or Hesse in the west of the Federal Republic, it is less than 150. The Czechia in the last two weeks recorded 509 infections per 100 000 inhabitants (the weekly value is not stated by the Czech authorities, note. ed.).

The daily Zeit recalls the autumn days when buses full of visitors came to the German border from Poland and the Czech Republic. “Seniors got out of it, hardly anyone had a veil. They went to the inn in two steps,” the letter describes the scene from October in the town of Waltersdorf in the Lusatian Mountains. It is less than twenty kilometers on foot across the ridge from the Czech town of Nový Bor.

In addition to the aforementioned Polish pensioners, “Czechs for beer in Zittau” or “Praguers for shopping in Dresden” also went to Germany. Madness, evaluates the Zeit newspaper retrospectively.

But tourism was not the only problem. “We are to some extent dependent on staff (from the Czech Republic),” admits Saxon Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer. Czechs and Poles work in German restaurants, hotels, hospitals and nursing homes, where a number of Czech doctors also work. And in some cases, they have become covid “zero patients” in these facilities.

Frivolous Saxon authorities

Saxon politicians refuse to unequivocally confirm that the virus was brought to Germany by foreign visitors. According to epidemiologists, this is likely. However, there are several reasons why Saxony is doing badly now, and the irresponsibility and resistance of the locals to comply with the restrictions also play a role, writes the local daily Saxon newspaper. As in the Czech Republic, disinformation and conspiracy theories thrive here during the pandemic.

However, Zeit points out that this is what makes it “strange” how recklessly the Saxon authorities have proceeded. Although in the spring, Saxon Prime Minister Kretschmer, like the Czechia, introduced very strict measures and later was proud of the well-managed first wave. However, he became one of the vocal advocates for individual regions to be able to set their own rules, even at the level of individual municipalities. This has also happened, but often local authorities have opted for a more lenient approach.

As for the rules for crossing borders, at the time when the second tough measures were in force in the Czech Republic, it was still possible to come to Saxony for one day without giving a reason, the need for a test or quarantine. For example, for shopping or beer.

The key to the current situation, therefore, probably lies in the few weeks before the beginning of November, when Chancellor Angela Merkel introduced a widespread all-German quarantine on the basis of an agreement with the heads of individual state governments, the German media writes. For example, it closed restaurants, but shops remained open. And the so-called “small border traffic”, which allowed tourism from neighboring states, the Saxons did not ban until 16 November.

However, the tabloid Bild points out in this context that it is not clear how much the borders are actually controlled. “We did not find a single police officer at the Zinnwald (Cínovec) and Schmilka (Hřensko) crossings,” Bild writes in an article with the caption “Finally stop the coronaturists”. At the request of the ČTK agency, the federal police confirmed that random checks at the border are strengthened, but the police do not impose fines. That is the task of the provincial authorities.

Fear of the Saxon scenario

Such ambiguity is a symptom of the German federal system. On the one hand, restaurants, beauty salons or cinemas closed in Germany at the beginning of November at the beginning of November, only five people from two different households are allowed to meet, and veils are mandatory everywhere inside. On the other hand, the specific conditions for gathering people are determined by the individual Länder themselves.

In areas with higher infections, they should act even more severely, the German media say. However, according to them, the measures that Saxony has introduced in recent days for its most risky areas are too vague and therefore mild.

Bavaria, on the other hand, took a tough approach, declaring a “state of disaster” at the same time. As in the case of Saxony from November, a ban on small cross-border movements will apply here from Wednesday. At the same time, it was still strictly regulated than in Saxony – foreigners needed a negative test.