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Berlin (dpa) - In order to contain the corona pandemic, the partial lockdown in Germany is expected to be extended until shortly before Christmas.
The minister-presidents of the federal states agreed that the measures, which were previously limited to the end of November, should initially be continued until December 20, as the dpa learned from participants.
A final decision is to be made on Wednesday when the country representatives meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU).
If the partial lockdown was extended, restaurants, leisure and cultural facilities that have been closed since the beginning of November remained closed.
In addition, strict contact restrictions would continue to apply.
The measures are intended to ensure that the number of new infections is significantly reduced.
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Also under discussion were stricter contact restrictions for private meetings and 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 will be exceptions for areas with low numbers of infections - the criterion is less than 35 or less than 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within 7 days and a downward trend.
The Prime Ministers' discussions lasted four and a half hours.
Then there was talk of good advice.
On Tuesday there should be negotiations between the heads of the state chancelleries and the head of the chancellery, Helge Braun (CDU), around noon.
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.
Merkel had failed during consultations a week ago with a proposal for more extensive contact restrictions and stricter rules in schools due to the veto of the federal states.
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The Chancellor wants to make a government statement in the Bundestag on Thursday after the consultations with the states, as government spokesman Steffen Seibert announced.
The federal government has already promised to extend the November aid to provide financial support to companies affected by closings and solo self-employed people such as artists if the partial lockdown is extended.
This is likely to cost billions more.
"If we extend the Corona measures, the aid must also be extended," said SPD boss Norbert Walter-Borjans of the editorial network Germany (RND).
In a paper that served as the basis for the deliberations on Monday evening 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. »
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CONTACT RESTRICTIONS: According to the paper, private get-togethers with relatives and acquaintances should be limited to one's own household and one other household, but in any case to a maximum of 5 instead of 10 people.
Children up to 14 years of age are exempt from this.
CHRISTMAS: For the holidays, an extension of the maximum number of people for indoor and outdoor get-togethers is suggested: According to this, meetings of a household with non-household family members or people outside the household should be possible up to a maximum of 5 or even 10 people.
Children up to 14 years of age should be exempt from this.
It was still unclear whether the regulation should apply for the period from December 21st to January 3rd, i.e. also over New Year's Eve, or only from December 21st to 27th.
NEW YEAR'S EVE: There were two alternatives to choose from, as Union-led countries do not want to follow the demands of the SPD countries for a complete ban on New Year's Eve gluttony.
Alternative 1: At the turn of the year, the sale, purchase and lighting of fireworks are banned in order to relieve emergency and auxiliary staff, to keep capacities in the health system free and to avoid larger groups.
Alternative 2 includes a recommendation to avoid New Year's fireworks.
Banging should be prohibited in busy squares and streets in order to avoid larger groups.
The local authorities regulate where this should be the case.
The business magazine “Business Insider” reported that the federal states had agreed on option 2.
SCHOOLS: The federal states agree on the goal of keeping schools and kindergartens open for educational and socio-political reasons.
However, it is still unclear which additional measures should be taken.
Countries led by the SPD want to enforce a mask requirement in class from the seventh grade onwards.
This should apply to "significantly more" than 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days.
Schools without infection can be excluded from this.
In order to avoid student clusters, the start of lessons should be staggered.
The Union-led countries require in regions with an incidence of more than 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants on the premises of all schools and in secondary schools to wear a mouth and nose cover.
In special infection hotspots, a change between classroom and home tuition is to be introduced in schools for higher grades.
It remains to be seen whether the start of the Christmas holidays will be brought forward to December 21st in order to reduce the number of contacts before Christmas.
MASKING OBLIGATION: The obligation to wear a mouth and nose cover, which applies to public transport or retail, is to be expanded according to the paper.
In future, according to the paper, it should also apply in front of retail stores and in parking lots.
The same applies to all places open to the public in inner cities, including in the open air, where people are either in confined spaces or not only temporarily.
The determination of the locations and the time limit should be the responsibility of the local authorities.
TRADE: The population is called upon to do Christmas shopping during the week if possible.
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HOMEOFFICE: Employers are asked to check whether companies can be closed either through company holidays or generous home office solutions from December 21st to January 3rd, 2021 in order to be able to implement the principle of “Stay at Home” nationwide.
HOSPITALS / CARE: The federal government wants to provide 15 FFP2 masks per person for particularly vulnerable groups, such as patients in hospitals and residents of nursing homes, senior citizens' and disabled facilities, for a small personal contribution from the beginning of December 2020.
In addition, 20 rapid tests per week are provided for each person in need of care.
UNIVERSITIES: Colleges and universities should generally switch to digital teaching - with the exception of laboratory activities, internships, practical training phases and exams.
RELIGION: The federal and state governments want to seek dialogue with the religious communities in order to reach agreements for church services and other religious gatherings with the aim of reducing contact.
It is important to avoid religious gatherings with the nature of large events.
SOCIAL INSURANCE: The federal government is stabilizing social security contributions at a maximum of 40 percent by covering additional financial requirements from the federal budget at least until 2022.
In this context, the federal government is examining how a tax-financed stabilization of contributions to statutory health insurance could look against the background of the high additional costs caused by corona.
The SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach defends the planned extension and partial tightening of the state corona restrictions.
Otherwise, the number of cases could not be reduced sufficiently before Christmas, "so an extension and tightening are necessary," he told the "Augsburger Allgemeine".
In order to contain the pandemic, more must be achieved, especially in schools and at private meetings.
The federal government's authorized care representative, Andreas Westerfellhaus, insists that care facilities continue to let in visitors despite the current high number of corona infections.
Residents of the home should decide for themselves whether they would like to receive visitors, he told the “Passauer Neue Presse”.
Sufficient medical protective equipment is there.
"There is no longer any shortage."
The German Association of Cities spoke out in favor of step-by-step plans in schools in all countries as the infection rate increased.
"It is important for the cities that there is clarity, especially in their own federal state, when face-to-face lessons must be reduced," said City Council President Burkhard Jung of the dpa.
Many cities are concerned that infections and necessary quarantine orders in schools are increasing.
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"The cities want good education for young people even during the pandemic," said Jung.
«We want to keep the schools open as long as possible.
But we also need practical action scenarios so that schools can react appropriately to high numbers of infections. "
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 201124-99-439668 / 3