Company on Corona: The economy is worried about a new lockdown

With drastic warnings, medium-sized businesses and retailers are looking at a possible new lockdown in view of the rising number of corona infections.

The Federal Managing Director of the Federal Association of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Markus Jerger, speaks of an “economic super-disaster”.

The managing director of the SME group, Ludwig Veltmann, sees a "dramatic perspective for Germany as a business location".

The trade association HDE spoke out in favor of compulsory vaccination for the first time on the first weekend in Advent.

Jerger from the Federal Association of Medium-Sized Enterprises called on politicians to absolutely prevent an impending corona lockdown. He told the German Press Agency: "If companies and retailers had to forcibly close again during the all-important Christmas business, we would have an economic meltdown: Entire sectors would be affected, and a large number of medium-sized companies would not survive a renewed lockdown economically."

For the companies it follows that the 3-G rule must be strictly controlled or 2 G must be introduced.

That would mean: Access to companies only for those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered.

"In plain language: employees unwilling to vaccinate, with the exception of medical exceptions, must then feel the consequences of their actions in the pay packet," said Jerger.

"Overloaded hospitals and postponed operations cost lives, and the virus does not take personal sensitivities into account."

The middle class demands that politics shouldn't lose any time

The corona virus is once again ahead of politics, criticizes Jerger. Current and future federal governments should not lose any more time, but must act immediately and consistently. There is no getting around the quick introduction of a general compulsory vaccination. “Although that comes too late to fight the fourth corona wave, it spares people and the economy from worse. In view of the dramatic development of the pandemic, this is the only way to avert an impending lockdown. "

The HDE trade association has now also spoken out in favor of compulsory vaccination: "Particularly with a view to the currently discussed restrictive measures for society and the economy, compulsory vaccination must be pursued accordingly," writes the HDE in a letter to Executive Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU ), which is available to the German Press Agency. A “prompt introduction of a constitutionally designed general vaccination requirement with clearly defined exceptions” is required. Because currently the vaccination quota is not sufficient to contain a fourth wave sufficiently.

In Berlin, on this Saturday, the first weekend in Advent, the 2-G regulation also came into force in retail: Most stores are only allowed to be vaccinated and convalescent, with the exception of supermarkets, drugstores and pharmacies.

Employees have to enforce the stricter rules against customers

Nils Busch-Petersen, General Manager of the Berlin-Brandenburg Trade Association, criticized the consequences for the employees: "The employees have to give the auxiliary police and endure confrontations with customers during the controls." He also expects sales losses of 15 to 30 or 40 percent.

"We are already seeing a decrease in frequency," said Busch-Petersen.

Veltmann from the Mittelstandsverbund told the German Press Agency on Saturday with a view to a possible lockdown: “Many small and medium-sized companies in particular would be catapulted out of the competition for good.

Hundreds of thousands of employees would also be affected. "

Politicians must keep their word and not allow another lockdown.

"With the consistent short-term use of comprehensive digital rapid test systems that can be connected directly to existing digital tools such as the Corona warning app and provide the health authorities with all the current information they need, the infection process could finally be localized and then targeted." A general shutdown of public life and entire areas of the economy would then be dispensable.

Veltmann criticized politics: "Instead of finally systematically recording the routes of infection digitally, traditional methods that are too slow are still being used, with which the pandemic can ultimately not be controlled." According to Veltmann, those who suffer would, according to Veltmann, wrongly, above all, entrepreneurs from trade - and service industries at their local locations.

“Renewed short-time work would encourage frustration, fluctuation and a shortage of skilled workers.

A dramatic perspective for Germany as a business location. "