Berlin (dpa / bb) – Federal Family Minister Franziska Giffey (SPD) planned visits to a daycare center and school in Berlin-Neukölln on Thursday met with criticism. Neukölln’s city councilor for health, Falko Liecke (CDU), criticized Giffeys’ too casual approach to press appointments in the corona pandemic on Wednesday.
Liecke pointed out that the number of infections in the district, as in Berlin, has recently increased significantly. The incidence – i.e. the number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within a week – was 117.9 on Wednesday in Neukölln, according to the health administration.
“There are known cases of the dangerous virus mutations B.1.1.7 in several schools and daycare centers,” said Liecke. “In the school that the Federal Minister wants to attend, a quarantine only ended on Tuesday.” In this situation, visiting daycare centers and schools for press appointments is “insensitive and completely inappropriate”.
Contact reduction is still the most important means against the pandemic. “And while the Berlin Senate suspends further openings, women politicians run through school classes and daycare groups with role models,” said Liecke. Infection protection should not be taken lightly.
A spokeswoman for Giffey’s ministry pointed out that appointments would be planned and carried out in compliance with the necessary corona protective measures. There is a mask requirement on site, and the number of participating journalists is limited in order to comply with the distance rules.
According to its own admission, Giffey wants to find out about the test options against Corona at both dates. But they can also be seen as part of their election campaign as the SPD’s top candidate for the House of Representatives election.
In this context, Giffey relies on as many face-to-face appointments as possible, despite Corona. On Thursday morning she will start an election campaign tour under the motto “Berlin is a matter of the heart” at the railway manufacturer Stadler and in a training center in Pankow. This should take them to dozens of places in the city in the coming days and weeks.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210317-99-864886 / 2
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