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Berlin (dpa) - After the extension and tightening of the corona measures, voices are now stirring that are pressing for an end to the lockdown in mid-February.
The vice-chairman of the Union parliamentary group, Georg Nüßlein, calls for the lockdown to be definitely ended after the previous time limit has expired.
"Because of the massive effects, it is not justifiable to prescribe a nationwide lockdown until the incidence number falls below 50 or below 35," said the CSU politician of the "Augsburger Allgemeine" (Saturday).
"If something does not happen in the next few weeks that we cannot foresee now, for example a massive spread of mutated viruses, then by mid-February at the latest we will have to take a different path than the previous one."
Saxony's Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) also wants to implement easing after February 14, if it is responsible, as he told the newspaper “Welt” - initially in schools and hairdressers.
“Then in March we can talk about retail.
And after Easter also about gastronomy. "
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The opening of schools has been a hotly contested issue since the first wave.
Union faction leader Ralph Brinkhaus warned against their opening too quickly.
“We are all doing ourselves a disservice by allowing face-to-face classes too early.
Health
comes first, ”he told the“ Passauer Neue Presse ”(Saturday).
The new virus mutations made him “very worried”.
Medical President Klaus Reinhardt - actually a supporter of the lockdown - also demanded perspectives for the population from politics.
"It is understandable that people are tired after ten months of the pandemic and that the corona protective measures are stressful," said the President of the German Medical Association of the "Rheinische Post" (Saturday).
The prospects also include clear communication about vaccination capacities.
In this regard, Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn was confident that, despite the delivery problems at vaccine manufacturer Astrazeneca, many people could be vaccinated with the vaccine in February.
He expects the vaccine to be approved in a week, and “there will then be deliveries from Astrazeneca in February as well, and I am still confident that it will make a difference in February compared to when we get to Astrazeneca not have », said the CDU politician in the ARD« Tagesthemen »(Friday).
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New findings from Great Britain, according to which the virus mutation could not only be more contagious, but also more deadly, will be "evaluated and see what conclusions we can draw from it," said Spahn.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had previously stated that there was "some evidence" that the variant first discovered in southern England may be more deadly than the previously prevalent one.
However, experts advised caution.
Whether and how much more deadly the new variant is is still very uncertain, warned the government's scientific advisor, Patrick Vallance.
Due to the mutations of the virus, Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) reserves the right to extend the home office requirements for employers if necessary.
"We'll see in good time whether an extension beyond March 15 is necessary," he told the Rheinische Post (Saturday).
Heil's plans to support Hartz IV recipients more financially in the pandemic are also well received by the FDP.
The now required OP or FFP-2 masks are more expensive than the previously allowed masks and that hit Hartz IV recipients "the most heavily" and must be compensated by the federal government, said FDP General Secretary Volker Wissing the "image " (Saturday).
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The left thinks that the idea is going in the right direction anyway - but they demanded that the surcharge should be at least 100 euros.
Heils suggestion comes "almost a year too late", criticized the social politician Sabine Zimmermann opposite the Funke media group.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210123-99-138089 / 2