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Stuttgart (dpa / lsw) - Baden-Württemberg's Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann has urgently warned of a slowdown in the fight against the corona virus.

Even if the infection numbers in the southwest are at the nationwide lowest level, the more aggressive virus variants threatened to undo the success of the lockdown again, said the Green politician on Wednesday evening after the deliberations of the federal and state governments.

"We must not let up now, otherwise we risk a third wave," warned the head of government.

"Even tougher measures would then be necessary than we already have."

Therefore, it is right that the lockdown with the contact restrictions continues until March 7th.

The mutants hung like a «sword of Damocles» over the country.

Bright spot for daycare centers and primary schools

However, daycare centers and primary schools should reopen on February 22nd, if the number of infections allows, said Kretschmann.

The federal and state governments agreed that the lockdown should first be relaxed at this point.

Education Minister Susanne Eisenmann (CDU) wants to reopen with the help of an interchangeable model.

"The concept for returning to face-to-face operations at primary schools is already in place," said Eisenmann's spokesman for the dpa.

It is based on the regulations that applied after the first corona lockdown last year at the end of the Whitsun holidays.

"Essentially, it is about alternating operations, in which two grades come face-to-face and the other two grades learn from home."

At that time, this model had already been successfully implemented in primary schools.

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Eisenmann sees prospects for secondary schools

The Minister of Education also wants the graduating classes to be able to return alternately.

Her spokesman added: "In the future, in the next step, face-to-face teaching should also be aimed at in secondary schools - provided that the infection process allows it."

The decision of the federal and state governments, which provides for an extension of the lockdown with the contact restrictions until March 7, theoretically allows this.

The paper says: "The federal states will decide within the framework of their cultural sovereignty about the gradual return to face-to-face teaching and the expansion of child day care."

Planned or haphazard?

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This Thursday, the state parliament will be debating the results of the meeting between Prime Minister and Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) in a special session.

FDP parliamentary group leader Hans-Ulrich Rülke welcomed the fact that daycare centers and primary schools are to be reopened.

The decision to open the hairdressing salons on March 1st is also correct.

"But it does not make sense why retail and catering are not opened at the same time," said Rülke of the dpa.

His SPD colleague Andreas Stoch held against Kretschmann that he had entered the negotiations without a plan to open the door.

"And he comes out with no plan."

That was too little for the sectors and people particularly affected, said Stoch of the dpa.

"Driving on sight" is just poking around in the fog. "

Kretschmann, on the other hand, had said that it was still too early for further relaxation.

From his point of view, even a fixed step-by-step plan would not help anyone.

"There are always developments that nobody can foresee," said Kretschmann.

The federal-state resolution states: If the so-called seven-day incidence has fallen steadily below 35 by March 7, the states should be able to gradually relax.

Retailers as well as businesses with body-friendly services should be able to reopen under specific conditions.

Land is serious: curfews in hotspots

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Kretschmann's cautious line also includes imposing nightly exit restrictions for regional corona hotspots.

The Ministry of Health in Stuttgart sent a corresponding decree to the municipalities late on Wednesday evening.

Accordingly, cities and counties must issue exit restrictions between 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. if the seven-day incidence value of 50 infections per 100,000 inhabitants has been exceeded in the past seven days.

The new curfews should be lifted as soon as the seven-day incidence is below 50 for at least three consecutive days.

According to the latest figures from the State Health Office, 26 of the 44 urban and rural districts still have an incidence of over 50. The goal of politics is to reduce the number of new infections everywhere below 50 per 100,000 inhabitants in seven days - only then are they Health authorities will be able to track all contact persons.

The regional exit restrictions follow the nationwide ban between 8:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., which the Administrative Court overturned on Monday.

The judges had described the regulation as no longer proportionate in view of the falling number of infections.

The nationwide ban expires this Thursday.

FDP parliamentary group leader Rülke announced that he would call for an end to the nightly exit restrictions in the special session of the state parliament.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210211-99-391722 / 3