Number of dead probably higher than previously known

In the United States, more people have died of coronavirus than previously known. A government advisor Fauci said at a hearing before the Senate. All information in the news blog.

There are already over 4.1 million people worldwide using the Corona virus infected, more than 285,000 people died. There are over 7,600 fatalities in Germany. However, many countries around the world have started to gradually loosen restrictions to combat Covid-19.

USA: Corona deaths probably higher than previously known

The prominent immunologist and US government advisor Anthony Fauci believes it is possible that the corona pandemic in the US has claimed more lives than previously known. According to a statement by Johns Hopkins University, there are now more than 1.3 million confirmed corona infections and more than 80,000 deaths across the United States. Fauci said on Tuesday during a video hearing in the U.S. Senate that the actual death toll was probably even higher. For example, there may have been people who died at home from the effects of a corona infection without having ended up in official statistics.

The corona pandemic is not under control in many parts of the United States. US President Donald Trump is still pushing ahead with the opening of the economy. He encourages protests in the states that he believes the protective measures are not reducing quickly enough. Many states do not meet the criteria set out in Trump’s guidelines for reopening, which include a reduction in the number of infections over 14 days.

Los Angeles plans exit restrictions through July

For the approximately 10 million Californians in the Los Angeles district, the exit restrictions due to the corona pandemic could remain in effect until the end of July. Los Angeles County’s health director, Barbara Ferrer, announced this at a hearing Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times reported. In their view, an earlier opening of public life is only possible if there is a “dramatic” turn in the fight against the virus. Ferrer spoke of a slow loosening of conditions over the next few months.

For example, the beaches in the Los Angeles district will reopen to visitors from Wednesday after almost two months of closure. However, only sporting activities such as swimming or jogging are permitted. People have to keep their distance from each other and wear a protective mask outside the water. Sunbathing is not allowed.

According to information from Tuesday, more than 69,700 infections with Sars-CoV-2 have been detected in the west coast state, so far 2802 people have died. The district of Los Angeles has by far the highest number of the 58 counties.

Letter to von der Leyen: EU conservatives call for end of border controls

According to a media report, European conservatives are increasing the pressure on the EU Commission to end border controls between member states from May 15. In a letter to her party friend, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (CDU), MPs from the European People’s Party (EPP) from all over the EU called for an end to the controls introduced at the beginning of the Corona crisis, reports the “editorial network Germany” in advance. Quarantine rules for EU citizens traveling to another EU country should also be lifted. This Wednesday, the EU Commission wants to explain how it envisages an end to the Corona border regime.

Court rejects urgent application against mask requirement

According to a decision by the Higher Administrative Court in Bremen, the obligation to wear a mask when shopping and on public transport is an appropriate means of preventing the spread of the corona virus. As a court spokesman announced on Tuesday, the court rejected an urgent request against the duty. Accordingly, the basic right to free development of personality is not disproportionately restricted by the regulation.

Wuhan wants to test all eleven million residents on Corona

Due to new corona cases in the Chinese metropolis of Wuhan, the authorities have ordered the entire population to be tested there. As Chinese media reported on Tuesday, each of the 13 boroughs now has ten days to initiate testing of the total of eleven million residents. The time span in which all eleven million residents should be tested remained initially open.

On Sunday and Monday, six new infections with the new coronavirus were registered in Wuhan for the first time in a month. The infected are elderly residents of a residential complex in the Dongxihu district. At the end of 2019, the novel corona virus was first detected in humans in the central Chinese industrial metropolis.

Saxony opens cinemas and outdoor pools earlier than planned

Saxony wants to bring most of the already announced corona loosening to this Friday. The government announced on Tuesday after a cabinet meeting. According to the new protection ordinance, theaters, cinemas and outdoor swimming pools should reopen. This was originally planned for next Monday. An opening on Friday was only promised to restaurants and hotels. In exceptional cases, relatives may be visited in old people’s and nursing homes. Hygiene concepts are a prerequisite. Daycare centers and schools only open from Monday.

Saxony’s Minister of Health Petra Köpping (SPD) spoke of an “historic day”. It is about the biggest easing nationwide. Saxony’s Minister of Economics Martin Dulig (SPD) called the easing a “brave step”: “Courage must not become frivolous”, he appealed to reason. However, the instruction to reduce the contacts to a minimum, to keep them at least 1.5 meters away and to wear a mouth and nose covering in certain areas remains.

SPD calls on Interior Minister Seehofer to open the border

The SPD calls on Federal Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer (CSU) to immediately enable small border traffic with neighboring countries again. “Where that is not possible, this has to be checked weekly as an exception, objectively justified and justified,” says the domestic spokeswoman for the SPD parliamentary group, Ute Vogt. “Flat-rate border closures must be avoided in the future.”

–

The Home Office extended the border regulations last week until May 15. Anyone arriving from abroad must currently go into quarantine for two weeks. Only commuters are exempt. The Lower Saxony Higher Administrative Court suspended the quarantine obligation on Monday at the request of a holiday home owner in Sweden.

–

Putin’s spokesman Peskow infected with coronavirus

Kremlin spokesman Vladimir Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has been infected with the corona virus. The 52-year-old confirmed this to the Russian state agency Tass on Tuesday and said that he would be treated. Details were not known. Peskow has been working from home for some time.

–

Putin spokesman: Dmitry Peskov tested positive for the corona virus. (Source: imago images)

–

Peskow belongs to the closest circle of the Russian president. He had repeatedly confirmed that Putin was healthy and was regularly tested. Putin directs state affairs from his Moscow suburb Novo-Ogarjowo. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin became known about two weeks ago. The Minister of Construction and the Minister of Culture were also infected. Mishustin, however, is on the mend, it was said.

–

Schwerin does not want to admit tourists from Corona risk areas

Even after the planned restart of tourism on May 25, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania does not want to let tourists from German Corona risk areas into the country. That announced Economy Minister Harry Glawe (CDU) on Tuesday. Hotels, pensions, campsites and landlords of holiday apartments should check this via the postcodes of the home towns of guests arriving.

–

For this purpose, the State Health Office is to record and make available those districts in which the Robert Koch Institute has registered more than 50 new corona infections in the past seven days. Those who do not comply with the entry ban must face a fine of 500 euros. If tourists are already in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania when their home country exceeds the threshold, they should be asked to visit a doctor at the holiday location. The regulation is valid until June 15th.

–

Thuringia allows demos without limit of participants

Demonstrations in Thuringia should again be possible from Wednesday without restrictions on the number of participants. This provides for a regulation that the cabinet has agreed on, as the Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday in Erfurt.

–

Demo against the corona rules on the cathedral square in Erfurt. (Source: photo2000 / imago images)

–

Thuringia will open swimming pools and gyms from June

Open-air swimming pools and swimming lakes in Thuringia could reopen from June 1, said Health Minister Heike Werner (left) on Tuesday in Erfurt. Gyms could also start operating again at this time if, as in other facilities, the necessary protection and hygiene concepts to reduce the risk of infection were in place. Indoor swimming pools, saunas, thermal baths, cinemas and discos remained closed until June 15th. These regulations are part of the new Thuringian Corona Regulation, which comes into force on Wednesday.

–

Berlin adopts its own Corona early warning system

In deviation from the federal-state agreements in the previous week, Berlin is using its own warning system in the corona pandemic. The rate of reproduction, the number of new infections and the occupancy of intensive care beds with Covid-19 patients should play a role, said Prime Minister Michael Müller and Health Senator Dilek Kalayci (both SPD) on Tuesday. Read more about it here.

–

Bavaria does not want to accept violations during demonstrations

The Bavarian state government does not want to tolerate violations of the corona rules during demonstrations. At rallies in Nuremberg, for example, a significant discrepancy between the applicable rules and local behavior could be seen, said State Chancellor Florian Herrmann after a cabinet meeting in Munich on Tuesday.

–

According to Herrmann, many more demos had more people than registered. “In some cases on purpose” passers-by were pressed. Herrmann emphasized that you would not let yourself be danced on. In order to avoid similar situations in the future, Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) will work out a concept in cooperation with the municipalities. In Bavaria, rallies have a maximum number of 50 participants and a duration of no more than one hour if the distance rules are observed.

–

Head of State Chancellery: Bavaria on the right track

The head of the Munich State Chancellery, Florian Herrmann, sees Bavaria on the right track in the corona pandemic. “Our course of caution and prudence is having an impact,” he said. You can see this from the daily new infections, the reproductive factor or the occupancy of the intensive care beds in the hospitals.

–

Bavarian cabinet provides information on corona measures

Members of the Bavarian state government want to inform about the results of a cabinet meeting in the early afternoon. It is expected that they will also comment on the corona measures in the Free State and on how to deal with demonstrations against the restrictions. t-online.de accompanies the press conference in the livestream and in the news blog.

–

Researchers: Retail closings hardly had any effect

According to calculations by scientists, the closings of schools and daycare had the greatest effect on containing the pandemic in Germany. In contrast, measures in retail remained almost ineffective. This was written by Enzo Weber and Tobias Hartl from the Institute for Labor Market and Research (IAB) of the Federal Employment Agency and from the University of Regensburg.

–

The school and day care center closures would have reduced the growth rate of confirmed corona infections by 7.9 percentage points. The exit restrictions and the cessation of professional and recreational sports would also be highly significant. On the other hand, the closings in retail, the hospitality industry or for hairdressers and cosmetics companies would have had little effect.

–

In their investigation, the researchers compared the various measures taken by politics, which came into force at different times. The temporal and regional variation allows an assessment of the effects on the slowing down of the virus spread, they write. Her conclusion: “According to our results, there could be good chances that a controlled opening of the service sectors of public life is possible without significantly increasing the infection rate.”

–

Almost empty shopping street in Freiburg: The restrictions in the retail sector would have had little effect on the spread of the virus, say labor market researchers. (Source: Ralph Peters / imago images)

–

Hamburg Senate relaxes contact restrictions

The Hamburg Senate has relaxed contact restrictions. As health senator Cornelia Prüfer-Storcks (SPD) said on Tuesday, members of two different households can meet again on Wednesday.

–

Test capacity riddle: “Answer is outrageous”

The reasons for the big difference between theoretically possible corona tests in Germany and the number of tests actually carried out remain unclear. An answer by the Federal Ministry of Health to a question from FDP parliamentary group Christian Dürr, which was presented to the AFP news agency, does not address this. “The answer is an impertinence,” said Dürr. It could not be “that the Ministry of Health refused to provide information on this issue”.

–

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) publishes data once a week on the capacities for corona tests as well as on the tests actually carried out and their results. According to the latest publication, the laboratories can theoretically carry out almost 965,000 tests per week. Most recently, just under 318,000 examinations were carried out in the week from April 27.

–

Russia now ranks second worldwide in infections

With the start of the first easing in Russia, the number of coronavirus infected has risen sharply. According to the authorities, there are more than 232,200 documented cases. According to surveys by the US University of Johns Hopkins based on officially reported data, the country with the largest surface area in the world is now in second place in terms of the total number of infections reported, ahead of Spain (228,000). There are more diseases only in the United States.

–

On Tuesday, according to the Russian authorities, almost 10,900 new infections were added. 43,500 people were therefore considered to have recovered. The authorities explain the sharp rise in the fact that significantly more people are tested for the virus than at the beginning of the epidemic. However, a high number of unreported cases is expected.

–

President Vladimir Putin announced Monday that the country’s non-working time as a measure against further spread of the virus had ended. This Tuesday, for example, work was allowed on construction sites and in industrial companies in Moscow. The governors in the regions are now deciding on further easing.

–

Passengers in the Moscow Metro: Some measures have now been relaxed in the Russian capital. (Source: ITAR-TASS / imago images)

–

80 new corona infections in slaughterhouse in Pforzheim

In a slaughterhouse in Birkenfeld near Pforzheim, more than 80 people have tested positive for the corona virus. This increases the number of employees who are or were infected with Covid-19 to around 400, said a spokeswoman for the district office in the Enzkreis district in Baden-Württemberg. That is more than a third of the workforce of around 1,100 employees. The authority published the results on Monday evening. Several media reported about it.

–

Almost 150 employees have now recovered. This means that they are allowed to work again. However, they are still subject to the company quarantine and may only move between their home and their place of work, as the spokeswoman explained.

–

RKI provides information on the corona situation in Germany

The Robert Koch Institute announced in a press conference on Tuesday about the latest developments in the corona crisis in Germany. The focus of the briefing was particularly on the number of reproductions. The institute currently sees the situation stabilizing, but does not yet want to speak of the all-clear. Read more about it here.

–

Lars Schaade: The Vice President of the Robert Koch Institute soon thinks open borders are possible again. (Source: imago images)

–

Australia’s finance minister after self-isolation after coughing fit

Australia’s finance minister Josh Frydenberg has had a coughing fit in parliament and was immediately tested for the corona virus. He had “dry mouth and cough” during the submission of a household report, the minister said in a statement a few hours after the incident. He had been advised to get tested for the virus and had done so immediately after leaving Parliament. Until the result of the investigation expected on Wednesday is available, he will remain in isolation, according to Frydenberg.

–

The minister struggled with the coughing spell for a few minutes while his colleagues in parliament were sitting at the intervals required for the coroan virus. “Too long a speech,” the minister quipped in a tight voice. The live broadcast of the parliamentary session showed him coughing several times before touching his face and touching the lectern, even though this actually violated the government’s own code of conduct.

–

Restaurants in Hamburg may open from Wednesday

Restaurants in Hamburg are allowed to reopen from Wednesday on in compliance with hygiene and clearance rules. The German Press Agency learned this on Tuesday morning from Senate circles. NDR 90.3 had previously reported on this. According to the broadcaster, restaurants and bars should be able to serve their guests indoors and outdoors. In Hamburg too, it should therefore apply that up to two families may sit at one table. The operators should wear mouth and nose protection, reported NDR 90.3.

–

The red-green Senate in Hamburg wants to announce further easing at noon in the restrictions in the fight against the corona pandemic. It is about the implementation of the steps agreed between the federal and state governments last Wednesday. After a meeting of the Senate under Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD), it should also be announced when the loosening will have to be reversed if the number of new infections increases sharply again.

–

Empty restaurant on the Landungsbrücken: Hamburg loosens the restrictions for the catering from Wednesday. (Source: Hoch Zwei / imago images)

–

Government approval in Corona crisis “exceptional” large

Approval for the work of the federal government rose drastically in the corona crisis, according to a survey by the Institute for Demoscopy Allensbach for the Bertelsmann Foundation, which was reported on Tuesday by the “Tagesspiegel”. “The values are exceptional and the changes more than clear,” said the Bertelsmann Foundation’s democracy expert, Robert Vehrkamp, to the newspaper. Read more about it here.

–

Contagion rate in the UK is falling

According to Health Minister Matt Hancock, the virus infection rate in Great Britain is now below the critical value of 1.0. It is in the middle range of 0.5 to 0.9. That means that from a purely arithmetical point of view, an average person infected with corona infects less than another person.

–

Tourism on the East Frisian Islands is starting again

With the Corona easing in Lower Saxony, tourism on the East Frisian Islands is slowly starting up again. “You can tell that there is a small run,” said a spokeswoman for the AG Ems, which offers trips to Borkum. According to a shipping company spokesman, significantly more crossings were also registered on the first day, after which overnight stays in holiday apartments, houses and campsites were permitted, even after Norderney.

–

The conditions under which tourists can come vary, however. While in the rest of Lower Saxony it has been valid since Monday that new guests are only allowed to come every seven days, the state regulation for the islands stipulates a minimum stay of seven days. At the same time, the regulation also gives local authorities the freedom to decide who can enter the island.

–

Langeoog’s Mayor Heike Horn (non-party) makes use of this and instead of the minimum stay, the relocation deadline applicable on the mainland: “What is important is that the fluctuation is restricted. If someone stays on the island for three days, the apartment must then be four Remain empty for days. ” On the other hand, Norderney and Juist announce on their websites that renting accommodation for at least a week is a prerequisite for tourists. According to the state government’s plans, hotels should be able to welcome holiday guests again from May 25, with restrictions.

–

Tourists on the North Sea island of Borkum: The minimum stay for guests on the East Frisian Islands is seven days. (Source: imago images)

–

Number of deaths in France jumps

In France, the number of coronavirus-related deaths has skyrocketed. The Ministry of Health announced that 263 new deaths had been registered within 24 hours, and there were still 70 on Sunday. However, there is often a greater increase after a weekend because cases are often reported late. According to the ministry, a total of 26,643 people have died in connection with the virus.

–

More than 26,000 people have died in connection with the corona virus in France (Source: imago images)

–

Laschet wants to relax quarantine measures for returnees

North Rhine-Westphalia’s Prime Minister Armin Laschet (CDU) calls for further state restrictions to curb the corona pandemic. After the lockdown in France ended, the quarantine measures for returnees from European countries in Germany would have to be relaxed, Laschet said in an interview with the “Rheinische Post”. He was of one opinion on the subject with his counterpart from Rhineland-Palatinate and his colleague from Saarland. Read more here.

–

Armin Laschet (CDU): The Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia demands x (Source: Bernd Thissen / dpa)

–

Health Department: Temperature checks at US airports were ineffective

The temperature measurements of passengers at the US airports at the beginning of the corona pandemic were ineffective, according to the CDC health agency, because humans can spread the virus without having symptoms such as increased body temperature. This emerges from a study published by the CDC on Monday.

–

Since most of the early Corona cases occurred in the United States on the west coast, the CDC experts focused on California in their study. Of the 12,000 passengers checked there between February 3 and March 17, only three later appeared in the state among the 26,000 or so Covid-19 patients registered by April.

–

According to the report, this suggests that the nearly 1,700 hours worked with temperature checks were pointless. In the case of a respiratory illness, which could be spread before the onset of symptoms and without the appearance of symptoms, temperature measurements at airports may be of “limited use”, the CDC said. According to the USA Today newspaper, the White House plans to resume temperature measurements at several airports.

–

23,792 new coronavirus cases in the United States

The CDC reports 23,792 new coronavirus cases. 1,324,488 people in America have contracted the virus. The number of patients who died from Covid-19 rose by 985 to 79,756.

–

Trump: Pence tested negative for corona virus

US Vice President Mike Pence has tested negative for the novel corona virus. This is announced by US President Donald Trump. Pence took the tests on Sunday and Monday. The tests were negative on both occasions. A day earlier, it was announced that Pence’s spokeswoman Katie Miller had tested positive for the virus. The system of security measures in the White House has not collapsed, Trump adds.

–

US media: Mask requirement for White House employees

According to media reports, wearing face masks is now mandatory in the White House after two corona infections became known to US government officials. This applies to all public areas of the government headquarters, but not to the offices, as several US media reported on Monday, citing internal instructions. Read more here.

–

Ministry of Interior imposes ban on employees

The Federal Ministry of the Interior has imposed a ban on an employee who, in his official function, has massively criticized the federal government’s corona measures against state representatives. There is now a “ban on the conduct of official business” according to the Federal Civil Servants Act, it said on Monday from the Ministry. Read more here.

–

Court puts quarantine obligation on immigrants out of prison

The Lower Saxon Higher Administrative Court has suspended the basic quarantine obligation for people entering the country from abroad. The judicial authority announced on Monday evening. Read more here.

–

European Medicines Agency recommends use of Remdesivir

The European Medicines Agency EMA recommends the use of the remdesivir drug from the US company Gilead, which has not yet been approved as a drug, outside of clinical studies (compassionate use). The EMA reports that it can be used in patients who do not rely on ventilators. The drug was originally developed to treat Ebola. Initial studies have shown encouraging results that remdesivir could be used successfully in the treatment of coronavirus-induced lung disease Covid-19. So far there is no cure or vaccine.

–

Donald Trump: The US President has rekindled the protests against the corona measures. (Source: Alex Brandon / AP / dpa)

–

Trump fuels protests against corona measures

US President Donald Trump has once again sparked protests against coronavirus containment measures – this time it hit the Democratic Governor of the State of Pennsylvania. “The great people of Pennsylvania want their freedom now and they are fully aware of what that means,” Republican Trump wrote on Twitter on Monday. He accused the Democrats of delaying the opening of the economy. “Democrats are moving slowly across the US for political reasons.” Trump is pushing ahead with the opening of the economy, even though the US continues to have high case numbers.

–

State of New York eases measures

In the state of New York, the strict corona restrictions are relaxed for the first time this week. The exception is the metropolis New York City, which remains in a state of emergency until at least June, as Mayor Bill de Blasio told journalists on Monday. The east coast state is the center of the corona pandemic in the United States. More than 22,000 people have died there from Covid-19.

–

Erdogan has a four-day curfew in major cities

Turkish head of state Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced another curfew limited to a few days to combat the corona pandemic. From Saturday to May 19, people in Istanbul and other major cities in the country would have to stay at home, Erdogan said in a speech to the nation on Monday after the weekly cabinet meeting.

–

Reproduction rate continues above critical value

According to the Robert Koch Institute, the infection rate in Germany is still above the critical value of “1”. The RKI announced in its current management report that the reproduction rate (R) is currently estimated at 1.07. Statistically, each infected person infects more than one other person, and the number of cases would increase again. RKI boss Lothar Wieler has repeatedly said that a rate below 1.0 is very important

–

WHO chief praises Germany’s corona strategy

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), praises the precautionary measures in Germany, South Korea and China regarding the easing. The gradual lifting of protective measures is complex and difficult, he says in Geneva. However, the three countries had taken steps to prevent the pandemic from resurging.

–

Laumann calls for a hygiene concept for slaughterhouses

After the accumulation of corona infections in slaughterhouses, North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister of Health Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU) demanded a coherent hygiene concept from the operators. It is not just about the operation, but also about the living situation of the workers and the transport from the apartment to the slaughterhouse, said Laumann on Monday in Düsseldorf.

–

Putin declares end of corona-related paid vacation

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced the end of paid leave that has been in place for more than a month due to the corona crisis. “Starting tomorrow, May 12th, the paid vacation that will apply across the country and across all economic sectors will end,” said the head of state in a televised speech. The fight against the corona pandemic is not yet over, Putin warned.

–

In a speech on Russian television: Vladimir Putin warned that the fight against the corona pandemic was not yet over. (Source: imago images)

–

The danger remains, he emphasized in his speech to the nation, which is a signal for a gradual relaxation of the corona restrictions. Putin had declared April to be the paid vacation month in Russia. This was intended to slow the spread of the corona pandemic.

–

Angela Merkel: The Chancellor calls on the population to continue to act cautiously. (Archive picture) (Source: photothek / imago images)

–

Chancellor Merkel: “New phase of the pandemic”

Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) made a short statement after a video conversation with the Harz district health department, the district administrator Martin Skiebe and the Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff. In it, Merkel repeatedly appealed to the German population: “We are entering a new phase of the pandemic.” It was now necessary “that with all the easing we really have certainty that people will stick to the basic requirements,” said Merkel. This includes maintaining the distance, wearing a mouth and nose guard and taking care of each other. “This is very important,” the Chancellor ended her short speech.

–

Minister calls for sanctions for violations of corona demonstrations

Thuringia’s Minister of Health Heike Werner (left) has called for the police to act more consistently at protest events against anti-corona requirements. “I expect the police to be better prepared for the next demonstrations,” said Werner in Erfurt to the German Press Agency. The security authorities would have to learn from the experiences of the recent protests, in which people, for example, repeatedly failed to keep their distance from others or were on the move without a mouthguard.

–

If participants demonstrably violate hygiene regulations, Werner considers sanctions to be appropriate. “It’s also a question of justice to all those who abide by the rules,” she said.

–

Covid-19 clinic finished on Berlin exhibition grounds

A Corona reserve hospital was built on the Berlin exhibition grounds within a few weeks. Initially, around 500 infected and Covid-19 patients could be isolated and treated if the Berlin clinics reached their limits in the course of the pandemic. “Because the pictures from Italy, Spain and New York showed us that well-positioned hospital systems can be overloaded,” said health senator Dilek Kalayci (SPD) at the official opening of the new treatment center on Monday. A total of up to 1,000 spare beds could be created there.

–

The Corona treatment center on the Berlin exhibition grounds: If the worst comes to the worst, there is space for around 500 Covid-19 patients. (Source: Kay Nietfeld / dpa)

–

Restrictions in the Coesfeld could be relaxed

North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister of Health Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU) sees opportunities that the easing of the corona protection measures in the district of Coesfeld no longer needs to be postponed. If the infection process concentrates on the area of the closed slaughterhouse and there are no other infections in the area, restrictions could possibly be withdrawn at the weekend in the district of Coesfeld, Laumann said.

–

After the outbreak of corona infections in the slaughterhouse for the Coesfeld district, the country had postponed many easing events until May 18. This affects, among other things, the opening of restaurants, fitness studios and dance schools. Even large shops in the Coesfeld district were not allowed to open more than 800 square meters of retail space on Monday.

–

Germany: 750 million euros for special vaccine research program

The federal government is funding the development of a vaccine against the coronavirus with up to 750 million euros. Federal research minister Anja Karliczek said in Berlin that two thirds of this was due to the expansion of studies, the rest to securing production in Germany later. A special program will be launched for this. The exact funding guidelines are now being worked out, there should be no double funding. “Developing and manufacturing a vaccine is the key challenge to bring the current pandemic under control,” said Karliczek. It is the key to living a normal life again, the research minister said.

–

The new special program complements Germany’s internationally committed funds. A global alliance to develop a corona vaccine had raised € 7.4 billion in pledges last week. 525 million euros came from Germany.

–

As soon as a vaccine is found, it should be produced “on a large scale”, the research minister said. “We still cannot expect miracles,” she said. One has to be prepared for setbacks in vaccine research, unfortunately that is one of them. As before, it was assumed that no vaccine would be found before 2021 or even 2022.

–

Cologne Cathedral reopened to tourists

The Cologne Cathedral is open to tourists again after an eight-week break – but subject to conditions. After church services had been possible again since the beginning of the month in the Corona crisis, the cathedral should gradually be made accessible to more people in a responsible manner, said a cathedral spokesman in Cologne. “The cathedral should be open to everyone.”

–

One of the requirements is that a maximum of 200 visitors may stay in the cathedral at the same time. The mouth protection obligation applies to visitors. You can only go through a certain route in the church. Guided tours and climbing the south tower are not yet possible, the spokesman said. The choir aisle around the Epiphany was also closed due to construction work.

–

Since March 15, the Cologne Cathedral was only open for silent prayer because of the corona pandemic. According to the cathedral chapter, an average of 16,000 to 20,000 people visit the cathedral every day. It is one of the most visited places of worship in Germany.

–

Merkel once again warns of caution in the corona crisis

Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) once again called for caution in dealing with the pandemic, given the demonstrations against conditions in the corona crisis. It was reported that many people had been shopping without protective masks at the weekend, Merkel said according to information from the German press agency from participants on Monday in a video section of the CDU Presidium. In part, this behavior was even seen as a test of courage, the Chancellor criticized. But the command is still to adhere to the applicable distance rules.

–

Merkel went on to say that only in two to three weeks would it be known how the loosening of the corona restrictions decided last week had an impact on the number of infections. She also announced that this Wednesday in the Bundestag, during the government survey, would once again comment on the measures relevant to the federal government for classifying the pandemic. Merkel and the federal government had recently been accused of causing confusion with different key figures.

–

Wuhan reports new coronavirus infections again

In the Chinese metropolis of Wuhan, the authorities have reported new infections with the corona virus for the second day in a row. In a residential area of the city, five new infections were confirmed on Monday, the authorities said. In the quarter, an infection was found in an 89-year-old man on Sunday – the first in more than a month.

–

The central Chinese industrial metropolis of Wuhan is the origin of the coronavirus pandemic. To curb the virus, authorities quarantined the entire city for more than two months. Since the curfew was lifted a good four weeks ago, Wuhan has actually been considered a “low-risk” area. In the affected neighborhood, however, the infection risk level has now been raised from “low” to “medium”.

–

Temperature measurement among students: In Wuhan, the corona restrictions were relaxed after more than two months. (Source: Chinatopix / AP / dpa)

–

Hamburg police found many violations of corona rules

The Hamburg police discovered a number of violations of the corona-related contact restrictions last weekend. 220 administrative offenses were initiated and 120 dismissals were pronounced, a spokeswoman said. Read more about it here. What rules apply in your state See here.

–

Number of new deaths in Spain decreased

The number of coronavirus deaths reported daily in Spain has dropped to its lowest level in seven weeks. The Ministry of Health reports 123 new deaths. A total of 26,744 people can be proven to have died as a result of infection with the new virus in Spain. The number of confirmed infections rose by 3,046 to 227,436 within 24 hours.

–

Russia reports record increase in new infections

Russia reports a new high with 11,656 new infections. This brought the number of proven infections to 221,344. Infections in Russia have increased by more than 10,000 for days. The authorities attribute this to an increased test program. The number of deaths rose by 94 within 24 hours to 2,009.

–

Coesfeld: Cases further increased at the weekend

In the Coesfeld district, the number of infections increased further after a corona outbreak in a meat company. A district spokesman said 780 infections were recorded in the district on Sunday, 35 more than on Saturday. According to the Robert Koch Institute, the number of new infections in the district was just under 96 and thus significantly above the specified upper limit of 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in the past seven days. Many of the loosening of the corona requirements, for example for restaurants and shops, planned from Monday onwards will be postponed in the district for a week, as the district announced.

–

Among those affected in the Coesfeld district are 230 infected people from the Westfleisch plant. 952 of the approximately 1,200 employees have already been tested there, said a spokesman for the company. The location remains closed. On Sunday there were also mass tests in a Westfleisch factory in Hamm. Around 1,000 employees were tested there, the rest should follow on Monday, said the Westfleisch spokesman. There were no results for the tests in Hamm on Monday. Where the upper limit was also exceeded read here.

–

Westfleisch wholesale slaughterhouse: In Coesfeld, the value of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants has already been exceeded. (Source: Kirchner-Media / imago images)

–

Experts: Corona crisis could promote vaccination readiness

Many people are eagerly awaiting vaccination against the new coronavirus. But there are also opposite views: At the weekend’s protest demonstrations against state measures to combat the pandemic, there were also opponents of vaccination. According to expert Bernd Harder from the Society for the Scientific Study of Parasciences, the corona crisis could, in the medium term, induce vaccination skeptics to rely more on vaccinations in the future. “Because they see what a world without vaccinations could look like.”

–

The pandemic also shows us how viruses can threaten our society, our prosperity and our existence. “My impression is that the vast majority of the population is very inclined to the idea of vaccination,” concludes Christian Bogdan, an infection immunologist from Erlangen, who is also a member of the Standing Committee on Vaccination (Stiko) at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) is on.

–

Warning of problems when starting daycare and school operations

The city and municipal association warns of massive difficulties in starting school and daycare in the coming weeks. “We have to organize a shift operation so that there are never too many children in the school building at the same time,” association president Uwe Brandl told the newspaper “Welt” on Monday. “We have to adjust the bus cycle times so that all students come to schools.” In rural areas, separate bus routes would have to be organized for this.

–

According to the previous requirements, there must be tendering procedures to find the cheapest entrepreneur. “If we continue to do this, we won’t be able to establish a bus service until October,” said Bradl. “We need quick decisions, including decisions that may take place outside of the previous public procurement practice.”

–

Spahn demands consistent action on site

Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) has asked the authorities in the states and municipalities to take consistent action in the fight against the corona virus. “We need the courageous, comprehensive approach on site,” stressed Spahn on Sunday evening in the “Today Journal” of the ZDF. It is very important to quickly understand all infections and isolate contacts. Only if the counties acted immediately could the numbers be prevented from rising again nationwide.

–

The federal government had largely given the federal states a free hand last week to relax the corona requirements. However, a kind of emergency mechanism was agreed: According to this, strict restrictions should apply again in the region concerned if more than 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants are registered within a week. There are now five locations in Germany where this upper limit is exceeded. Read more here.

–

Spahn defended the agreement against criticism. “It works,” he said. It is important that everyone stands together. The debate is becoming increasingly polarized, as demonstrated by the demonstrations against the Corona requirements. Politicians must therefore explain and explain the necessary measures even better. It was far too early to give the all-clear: “We are still in the middle of this pandemic,” warned Spahn.

–

Jens Spahn: The Federal Minister of Health calls for quick action in the regions. (Source: Peter Kneffel / dpa)

–

In order to make reading easier and reduce loading times, the editors start the news blog again at this point. You can read about the previous developments in the corona crisis here.

–

– .

Tags: Chancellor Angela Merkel, China, Coesfeld, corona crisis, Corona Virus, Covid-19, donald trump, News, panorama, RKI, Robert Koch Institute, United States, vaccine, Viral infection, Wuhan