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Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) - North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister Armin Laschet (CDU) informed the Düsseldorf state parliament on Thursday (10 a.m.) about the latest federal and state resolutions on the corona crisis.

On Wednesday, in a video conference lasting over nine hours with Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU), the prime ministers agreed to extend the lockdown to March 28th due to the continued high number of infections.

However, depending on the infection, there should be opening options.

A step-by-step opening strategy with a built-in emergency brake was agreed: If individual loosening in a region leads to a sharp increase in the number of infections, all the alleviations that have already been made are automatically canceled there.

There were no resolutions to return to normalized school operations.

Laschet announced early Monday morning after the marathon meeting that talks would be held with parents 'and teachers' associations.

"You can't say details about this today."

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After six weeks of distance learning, more than 800,000 students in North Rhine-Westphalia returned to their classes on February 22nd, under stricter safety precautions.

However, this only applies to elementary and special school pupils at the primary level who have alternating lessons, as well as to final classes.

Laschet emphasized: "The pandemic is particularly affecting those children who are already mentally troubled."

It is not foreseeable what long-term consequences this will have - also for their educational opportunities and CVs.

After months of closings, customers should also be able to shop again in the retail stores in North Rhine-Westphalia under strict conditions.

Laschet reported that on March 8th, shopping by appointment should be possible in the stores.

Openings of bookstores, flower shops and garden centers had also been arranged nationwide.

The prerequisite for this, however, is that the number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants is below the 100 mark within seven days.

In the national average, this is currently the case with values ​​around 64.

It remains to be decided whether this will also be possible in all districts and urban districts.

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“The goal is one customer per 40 square meters,” explained Laschet.

With the “Click and meet” model, a number of customers corresponding to the sales area is admitted for a fixed, limited period of time after booking an appointment.

Documentation is provided for contact tracking.

"The German retail trade is suffering massively," Laschet emphasized.

The fashion trade, which for the most part still has winter goods in the store, and furniture stores are particularly affected.

"We need a change of perspective away from blanket and permanent closure to focused and controlled security," said the NRW head of government and CDU chairman.

“The mutated virus continues to spread and we will have to learn to live with the virus.

That is what this Prime Minister's Conference carried today. "

Laschet said the corona situation within North Rhine-Westphalia is very different: While 14 districts had fewer than 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days, there are also four districts with well over 100. A decision still has to be made as to whether shopping with previous ones The date also applies across the country to the districts and independent cities, which may then be above the 100 mark, according to the State Chancellery.

The state government had previously spoken out against local openings to prevent shopping tourism.

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In gastronomy, openings are not possible until March 22nd at the earliest - with a seven-day incidence between values ​​of 50 and 100 with different requirements such as appointment bookings, explained Laschet.

Starting next week, the federal government will assume the costs of a corona rapid test per week for every citizen.

The prerequisites for this should also be created in North Rhine-Westphalia.

“We will discuss this with the municipalities from tomorrow.

It is not yet possible to finally say a date for North Rhine-Westphalia when it will start ”, explained Laschet.

Schoolchildren should also be given the opportunity to test.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210304-99-680460 / 3