Winfried Kretschmann sees failures in particular in connection with the lockdown in November and the vaccination plans. A comprehensive error analysis is necessary for the time after the pandemic.
Baden-Württemberg’s Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) has admitted errors in crisis management in the corona pandemic. “The lockdown light in November was wrong, the restrictions did not go far enough,” said Kretschmann to the “Tagesspiegel am Sonntag”. “We were told by parts of science that that might be enough. But that was a mistake.” One had to act under pressure in the situation. “Mistakes happen, unfortunately that is the case.”
Relaxations only from a seven-day incidence of less than 50
With a view to possible loosening, Kretschmann considers it necessary to reduce the number of new infections to well below 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in seven days: “We can only guarantee when we come well below an incidence of 50 – ideally half of that that we have everything under control again, “explained Kretschmann. Since November, no one has known where the infections came from. “We lost control of the pandemic – now we are slowly getting it back”.
Vaccine shortages cannot be corrected until March
Errors were also made in planning the vaccinations against the corona virus. “The EU has apparently not focused enough on the requirement of mass production. That is now hanging on our clothes.” The fact is that the vaccine shortage cannot be remedied by any measures within the first three months of this year. There is currently a lack of production capacity.
Kretschmann can understand the displeasure of the population
The Prime Minister can also easily understand that people are annoyed because there is no predictability and no reliability in the Corona crisis. In normal times, these are legitimate demands on politics. At the moment, however, there is no predictability. It is a new situation for everyone.
“I can understand the discontent. But politics is not responsible for the situation. We are just the actors who have to make tough decisions in the fight against the pandemic. The virus is responsible for the crisis.”
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Comprehensive error analysis to prepare the pandemic
To better come to terms with it, Kretschmann suggested a comprehensive error analysis after the pandemic. “When it is by and large over, I would recommend the Bundestag to set up a study commission immediately, preferably in early summer.” This should comb through all the fields and record the consequences of the pandemic. In contrast to committees of inquiry, inquiry commissions in parliaments are made up not only of members of parliament but also of external experts in order to examine issues.
Federal-state conference on the corona situation in the middle of next week
Next Wednesday, the federal and state governments want to decide whether cautious easing is possible. If the lockdown continues to a large extent, it is estimated that an incidence of 25 could be reached by the end of February. Therefore, a corresponding extension to the end of the month is being discussed between the federal and state governments – also because of the risk of virus mutations.
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