display
Berlin (dpa) - The extension of the partial lockdown in Germany until shortly before Christmas is as good as certain.
The minister-presidents of the federal states agreed that the measures limited to the end of November should initially be continued nationwide until December 20, as the dpa learned from participants.
A final decision should be made during the consultations between Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and the federal states on Wednesday.
If the partial lockdown was extended, restaurants, leisure and cultural facilities that have been closed since the beginning of November remained closed.
The extension of the measures is intended to significantly improve the corona situation.
display
Also under discussion were stricter contact restrictions for private meetings and possibly an expanded mask requirement in schools.
It remained unclear whether the anti-corona measures should always be extended by 14 days from December 20 if the infection rate does not decrease significantly - or whether the course will be discussed again in mid-December.
It also remained open whether there would be exceptions for areas with low infection numbers.
The deliberations of the Prime Ministers lasted four and a half hours.
There was talk of good deliberations.
On Tuesday around noon there will be renewed negotiations between the heads of the state chancelleries and the head of the chancellery, Helge Braun (CDU).
It was expected that a paper will be drawn up in the course of the day, on the basis of which a consultation with Merkel will take place on Wednesday.
According to dpa information, skepticism was expressed in country circles as to whether the Chancellor would be satisfied with the countries' proposals.
In these circles it was expected that the federal government would want to enforce stricter requirements for regulations on schools and requirements for Christmas than the federal states are willing to resolve.
display
During the most recent deliberations a week ago, Merkel failed with a proposal for further contact restrictions and regulations in schools due to the veto of the federal states.
In a paper that served as the basis for the deliberations and was available to the dpa, it was said that the corona numbers had stabilized at a high level.
But the all-clear has long since been given.
“Because the number of infections is still too high in many places.
The hoped-for trend reversal could not yet be achieved in November, so far only a "sideways trend" has been observed. »
Merkel wants to make a government declaration in the Bundestag on Thursday after the consultations with the states, as government spokesman Steffen Seibert announced.
display
The federal government had already promised to extend the November aid to provide financial support to companies affected by closings, as well as solo self-employed people such as artists, if the partial lockdown is extended.
This is likely to cost billions more.
At the weekend, politicians from the federal and state levels had already prepared the citizens for an extension of the contact restrictions that initially apply until the end of November.
Saxony-Anhalt's Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff (CDU) underlined on Monday that the heads of state of the states agreed that there was no time for easing: "We are therefore advocating an extension of the partial lockdown."
Like Haseloff, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) campaigned for the contact restrictions on Christmas days and at the turn of the year to be relaxed.
So far, no uniform line has emerged among the Prime Ministers of the federal states on the question of a general sales ban for New Year's Eve bollards, as the participants in the consultations said.
It was emphasized that decisions should only be made on Wednesday at the deliberations of the federal and state governments.
Accordingly, a ban on fireworks on New Year's Eve in certain public places was discussed.
The controversial proposals were listed in the paper, which served as the basis for deliberations on Monday evening.
On the one hand, it was said that at the turn of the year the sale, purchase and lighting of fireworks were forbidden, in particular to relieve the emergency and auxiliary staff, to keep the capacities of the health system free and to avoid larger groups.
As an alternative, it was said that at the turn of the year it was recommended that the New Year's Eve fireworks be avoided.
The use of pyrotechnics is prohibited in busy squares and streets in order to avoid larger groups.
The local authorities should determine the squares and streets affected.
display
The Union-led federal states had previously spoken out against a sales ban on New Year's Eve, unlike the SPD states.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 201123-99-439312 / 2