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Actually, the lockdown, in which Germany has remained since November, should be gradually eased in March.
The roll-up of a third wave is now preventing in many places public life from getting a touch of normality again.
The numbers are increasing, individual areas are virtually overrun, the AstraZeneca vaccine has been suspended for a few days and no one knows how the rampant mutants will affect them.
On Monday, the federal and state governments will meet for the next summit - hopes for easing will likely have waned across the board by then.
Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn prepared for this on Friday in Berlin: "The increasing number of cases means that we will not be able to take any further opening steps in the next few weeks," said the CDU politician.
On the contrary, one might have to take a few steps back.
“We still need staying power.” According to the Vice President of the Robert Koch Institute, Lars Schaade, Germany is experiencing exponential growth in the number of cases.
He said: "There are difficult weeks ahead."
At least the responsible decision-makers would currently make themselves less unpopular with tightening than was previously the case.
Because according to the ARD Germany trend, one in three of those surveyed (32 percent) do not go far enough with the restrictions - that's twelve percent more than at the beginning of March 2021, when only 20 percent of those surveyed were of this opinion.
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The following is an overview of - often suspended - easing plans and tightening in the federal states.
Baden-Wuerttemberg
Baden-Württemberg's Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) announced on Friday that the corona requirements would be tightened due to the increasing number of infections.
"You have to expect that things will be taken back and tightened," said the Green politician on Friday in Stuttgart.
In view of the many infections in day-care centers and schools, it could also be "that we also have to change something," said Kretschmann before the federal-state meeting on corona policy next Monday.
On Friday morning, the nationwide seven-day incidence in Baden-Württemberg was
89.0
.
Bavaria
In the Free State there will be no new opening steps for the time being, a spokesman for the Ministry of Health told the German Press Agency on Thursday.
Theaters, cinemas, concert halls and outdoor restaurants have to remain closed nationwide.
In the state, the incidence value is currently around 100. On Friday morning, the state-wide seven-day incidence in Bavaria was
100.8
.
Berlin
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Berlin's Governing Mayor Michael Müller (SPD) currently sees little opportunity to relax the current restrictions in view of the increasing corona numbers.
"You have to be careful," said the chairman of the Prime Minister's Conference (MPK) on Thursday after the country bosses had video switched.
"In Berlin I did not exhaust everything that would be possible in terms of opening steps after the last MPK decision," he added.
"And we see how sensitive this situation is, and I don't see that we have much leeway for further steps."
On Tuesday the Berlin Senate decided to postpone further easing.
This therefore applies to face-to-face lessons for students in grades 7 to 9 before Easter, outdoor catering with prior appointment booking, visits to the theater, concerts, opera houses and cinemas with daily quick or self-tests, outdoor contact sports and indoor non-contact sports as well as regulations for retailers, that go beyond purchasing by prior appointment.
On Friday morning, the seven-day incidence in Berlin was
87
.
Brandenburg
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Potsdam has decided to withdraw easing in particularly affected areas.
SPD Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke announced on Thursday that if there were seven-day incidences over 100, defuses would be reversed on three days in a row.
"With the change, we are taking into account the different regional infections in Brandenburg," said Woidke, according to media reports after a special cabinet meeting. In the current situation, this is "inevitable".
The schools are to remain open for alternate classes until the Easter break.
Many shops, however, have to close again from Monday with the so-called emergency brake.
Exceptions are supermarkets, pharmacies, drugstores, banks and savings banks as well as pick-up services.
Museums and memorials also have to close.
Private meetings are limited, not counting children under 14 years of age.
Individual outdoor sports are limited to two people or one household;
Children's sports are prohibited.
DIY megastores with garden centers, flower shops and cosmetic studios will remain open, restaurants closed.
Further loosening is currently not responsible, said Woidke.
On Friday morning, the nationwide seven-day incidence in Brandenburg was
101.
Bremen
Bremerhaven tightened contact restrictions in view of increasing numbers.
Privately, only one household is allowed to meet one other person in the Bremen enclave on the North Sea.
The mask requirement will also be extended outside, in addition to the main train station and city center areas, also to Hafenstraße, Grashoffstraße and Georgstraße.
In addition, with the exception of the driver, a mask must also be worn in cars if there is more than one household in the vehicle.
On Friday morning, the seven-day incidence in Bremen was
94.
Hamburg
In view of the rising incidence values, Hamburg has activated the so-called emergency brake and is taking steps backwards.
The pandemic situation will foreseeably worsen, said First Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD) on Friday after a meeting of the Senate.
As in previous corona waves, Hamburg will react early to prevent intensive care units from filling up with corona patients.
“We can't wait,” said Tschentscher.
According to the Senate decision, the retail trade in the Hanseatic city has to close again, only the collection of ordered goods remains possible.
The contact rules are tightened again and now only allow meetings between members of a household and another person.
This also applies outdoors, for example when doing sports.
Exceptions apply to children under the age of 14.
Museums and zoos will also have to close again.
The regulations correspond to the joint federal-state phased plan and will take effect from Saturday.
Schools and daycare centers are not affected for the time being.
There it remains with the easing measures recently initiated.
In Hamburg, the incidence on Friday was over 100 for the third day in a row. The Senate is based on its own data; the daily values determined by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) were lower.
Tschentscher criticized the recent openings in Germany and urged other federal states to follow the Hamburg example.
Eight countries currently have higher incidence values than the Hanseatic city, he told journalists.
All countries would now have to implement the joint resolutions on the emergency brake “very consistently”.
The third wave of the pandemic, which was initially only assumed, is now real, and it is "strong".
No country can control the development alone, everyone has to go along with it.
Hesse
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Due to the increasing number of corona infections, Hessen is refraining from further opening steps and the return of students from the 7th grade to the alternate classes planned for next week.
“We have very dynamic events.
The third wave is here, ”said Prime Minister Volker Bouffier (CDU).
The most important thing now is to do everything possible to keep the wave as flat as possible.
"Given this initial situation, we cannot be held responsible for taking further steps to open the door." The existing regulations would initially continue to apply.
Hessen is basically sticking to its plans for schools, should the infection allow it.
So far, it is planned that the elementary schools will go into limited regular operation with five days of lessons per week after the Easter break from mid-April.
On Friday morning, the nationwide seven-day incidence in Hesse was
106.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
No further corona easing steps will be implemented in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on Monday.
A government spokesman for the dpa said on Friday in Schwerin.
The current state corona ordinance stipulates possible opening steps for March 22nd.
For example, outdoor dining and going to the cinema should be possible again within a week in regions with fewer than 100 new corona infections per 100,000 inhabitants.
Recently, the number of infections rose again nationwide, so the state government wants to wait for the federal-state consultations on the corona pandemic on Monday.
According to the spokesman, this is to avoid that loosening steps have to be reversed shortly afterwards.
On Friday morning, the nationwide seven-day incidence in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania was
64.
Lower Saxony
Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD) and his vice Bernd Althusmann (CDU) disagree on some areas of the easing plans.
According to NDR, the discussion within the state government revolves around the question of the Easter holiday, among other things.
Because is therefore against travel over the holidays, Althusmann wants to make it possible to a limited extent.
Weil told the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung”: “We have a really difficult situation due to the virus mutations.
We don't have to take further risks with our eyesight. "Althusmann, on the other hand, is quoted as saying:" The hotel industry has sophisticated hygiene concepts that offer the highest level of security. "He therefore encourages openings before the next federal-state summit on Monday a utilization of up to 60 percent.
In addition, the two politicians apparently disagree on the question of whether to move away from the incidence value as the main criterion for restrictions and easing.
Althusmann also wants to incorporate key figures such as the occupancy rate of the hospitals or regional developments - Weil rejects the proposal.
In 13 regions now, the critical value is above the 100 mark - this means that any easing in these municipalities must be stopped.
Lower Saxony basically wants to achieve easing, which is linked to rapid tests, despite the increasing corona numbers.
A special coalition committee set a common course on Thursday.
According to Althusmann, this will likely mean a significant improvement in the retail situation from the end of March.
According to Weil, it should be checked whether daily negative reports allow people to come together safely, for example to go shopping - while maintaining the current hygiene rules.
On Friday morning, the nationwide seven-day incidence in Lower Saxony was
84.
North Rhine-Westphalia
Because the number of infections is rising again, there will be no further easing of the requirements in North Rhine-Westphalia for the time being.
The openings promised for March 22, for example in outdoor restaurants, theaters, concert and opera houses as well as cinemas and sports are not possible due to the current infection rate, said the NRW Ministry of Health in Düsseldorf on Thursday.
They will first wait for the federal-state conference planned for next Monday before there are possible changes to the existing Corona Protection Ordinance, it said.
In Dortmund there has been trouble in the meantime because the city single-handedly wanted to close schools and daycare centers again.
The largest city in the country, Cologne, has been a hotspot again since the beginning of the week with an incidence of over 100. Nevertheless, the city initially decided not to pull the emergency brake.
Also because the increase has in part to do with a dormitory outbreak.
On Friday morning, the nationwide seven-day incidence in North Rhine-Westphalia was
96.
Rhineland-Palatinate
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The federal state will decide on Friday how to proceed with the provisions, but has already tightened some of them.
"We haven't been able to commit ourselves today," Prime Minister Malu Dreyer (SPD) said on Tuesday after a cabinet meeting in Mainz.
However, twelve cities and districts have already had to withdraw their easing: Mainz, Frankenthal, Ludwigshafen and Pirmasens as well as the districts of Ahrweiler, Altenkirchen, Germersheim, Neuwied, Südwestpfalz, Trier-Saarburg and the Westerwaldkreis, the Rhein-Lahn-Kreis and the Rhein-Pfalz -Circle.
Since Tuesday, shopping by appointment has only been possible in Mainz, and masks are compulsory on the Rhine.
On Friday morning, the nationwide seven-day incidence in Rhineland-Palatinate was
69
.
Saarland
In Saarland, the incidence was long below 100, but for the time being, at least until the next federal-state summit, no further easing is planned.
According to "SR", the corresponding ordinance was extended by the state government on Thursday evening.
Participants had learned that they did not anticipate the decisions of the nationwide round and instead wanted some planning security.
In the Council of Ministers on Thursday, however, possible future easing steps in areas of life such as sport and catering advice were also taken, which could theoretically be decided after the summit.
In the state, all students are now back in alternating classes, the retail trade is open under certain conditions.
Meetings of a maximum of five people from one's own household and one other household from the family reference group as well as another household from outside the family are possible again.
There are also children under 14 years of age.
On Friday morning, the nationwide seven-day incidence in Saarland was
56.
Advertisement for the Leipzig Book Fair and the “Home-Garden-Leisure” fair - neither of which can take place as usual in 2021 (archive photo)
Source: dpa-infocom GmbH
Saxony
Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) declared easing plans to have failed in a video conference with local politicians on Wednesday, according to MDR.
Corresponding attempts by the federal and state governments would have to be canceled.
In Saxony, many districts and urban districts have torn the 100 incidence limit.
According to the “orientation plan” published by the state government, exit restrictions (leaving the house only with good reason), the enforcement of the one-household rule and a ban on alcohol in public are pending in the affected regions after three consecutive days with a corresponding incidence.
After five consecutive days, schools have to close again the following week.
On Friday morning, the nationwide seven-day incidence in Saxony was
127.
Saxony-Anhalt
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As part of the “10.
SARS-CoV-2 containment regulation ”, which has been in force since March 8, Magdeburg has decided to relax retail and sports, provided the 7-day incidence remains below the value of 100.
Education Minister Marco Tullner (CDU) tweeted on Tuesday, however, that compulsory attendance at elementary and secondary schools in the country would be suspended.
Saxony-Anhalt also wants to enable its citizens to take a holiday in their own state at Easter.
Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff (CDU) told the “Bild” newspaper that you should be able to travel within the state as well as book accommodation.
"I can't explain to anyone why the same household that lives together anyway isn't allowed to sit in the car with the children and drive to a holiday home in their own state," said Haseloff in explanation.
The CDU politician warned against gambling away the acceptance of the corona measures in the population through incomprehensible rules.
"If we make rules that no one understands and many ignore, we will not achieve anything," said Haseloff.
In addition to holiday apartments, Haseloff also wants to allow the residents of his state to travel in mobile homes, according to the "Bild" newspaper.
On Friday morning, the nationwide seven-day incidence in Saxony-Anhalt was
111.
Schleswig-Holstein
In the north of the next week, according to the NDR, the retail trade will have to be restricted in areas with an incidence over 50 - shopping is then only possible via “Click and Meet”, i.e. by appointment.
This affects the districts of Pinneberg, Segeberg, Stormarn, the Duchy of Lauenburg and the independent cities of Neumünster and Flensburg, Prime Minister Daniel Günther (CDU) is quoted as saying.
Further opening steps are therefore on hold, also in the remaining, less affected regions.
"We cannot make any decisions before the MPK," said Günther.
One still has to be “careful”.
On Friday morning, the nationwide seven-day incidence in Schleswig-Holstein was
57.
Thuringia
In the area of responsibility of Bodo Ramelow (left), the planned easing should remain in place for the time being, according to local media.
"We are still more in lockdown mode than other federal states," a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health is quoted as saying.
"There are no plans to change the regulation in the short term." This does not apply in individual circles, so Gera will close schools again from next week in view of an incidence of almost 200.
On Friday morning, the nationwide seven-day incidence in Thuringia was
187.