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The telephones have not stood still at many business associations: The Easter lockdown decided by the federal and state governments has caused great uncertainty among many companies - and massive criticism.
"The mood is subterranean," said a large business association.
Desperate entrepreneurs, HR managers or logisticians now wanted to know what to do - and what applies now.
Many associations and companies are eagerly awaiting what exactly the "rest days" mean.
In a marathon session, Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and the heads of government of the countries surprisingly decided to largely shut down economic and public life over Easter - an unprecedented step in the pandemic.
The aim is to break the third corona wave.
Maundy Thursday (April 1) and Holy Saturday (April 3) are to be regarded as "rest days" once this year.
Only grocery stores should be allowed to open on Holy Saturday.
So does that mean that many companies are not working now, can this lead to a production stop in industrial factories?
What does this mean for international supply chains?
And what for the employees, keywords holiday bonuses or continued pay?
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Many associations are perplexed about this.
Many letters were sent to ministries.
The government failed to answer the day after the Bund-Länder-Round.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior should now work out a model ordinance by Wednesday evening to clarify the many questions.
"Sudden shutdowns are not feasible for an internationally networked economy," warned the President of the Association of the Automotive Industry, Hildegard Müller, on Tuesday evening after a "car summit" with Merkel.
There are many unanswered questions about the implementation of the "special lockdown": "Paint shops and energy centers and much more cannot simply be shut down on demand."
The industry expects sensible and practicable regulations that are geared towards entrepreneurial activities and that can also be implemented in a legally secure manner, according to Müller.
Incidentally, the workplaces are a safe place: "We rely on vaccination and testing instead of lockdown and break."
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The mood in the economy is heated.
Even companies that could still reasonably plan under difficult pandemic conditions turned the wheel, said an insider.
Can goods still be delivered?
Otherwise there is a risk of contractual penalties or even longer-term damage such as the loss of previously loyal customers because deliveries cannot be made at short notice.
Politicians have not thought through the consequences of the sudden Easter lockdown at all, according to other associations behind closed doors.
The consequence could be high damage to the economy - also to the industry, which is currently getting through the crises even better than other sectors, which, like the catering trade, are interpreted by months of closings.
After the corona-related slump in economic output in 2020, the signs are actually pointing to recovery this year - even if the "economic wise men" recently lowered their economic forecast for 2021 in view of the ongoing crisis.
Experts expect economic output to decline in the first quarter.
The biggest risk for the economy is a third wave, it said - especially if the industry is severely affected by restrictions and plant closings.
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The top representatives of the business associations went on a confrontational course following the resolutions of the federal and state governments.
Employer President Rainer Dulger spoke of great perplexity and complained that Germany was facing difficult challenges, Corona management was one of the most difficult challenges: "Many employers are appalled at how federalism and the political elite threaten to fail because of this challenge."
Reinhold von Eben-Worlée, President of the Association of Family Entrepreneurs, railed: “The two days of rest on Maundy Thursday and Holy Saturday should apply like public holidays - thus also for all services, for craftsmen and for industry!
Who pays for this additional loss?
In the government the motto is apparently: The money comes from the socket. "Industry President Siegfried Russwurm criticized:" While other countries are vaccinating and testing more and more quickly to preserve the freedom of their citizens, Germany is now imposing rest periods.
The economy itself is under observation, it is about corona tests for employees.
The federal and state governments initially continue to rely on the voluntary nature of companies.
At the beginning of April there is to be a first implementation report from trade associations, stating how many companies are participating.
On this basis, the Federal Government then wants to assess whether there is still a need for regulatory action - in other words, whether there are legal requirements.