Corona: Then Tschentscher smiles and says: "Be careful"

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It has become a tried and tested stylistic device for Hamburg's First Mayor Peter Tschentscher in the corona pandemic to address citizens directly during his public appearances.

This was also the case on Wednesday, when the Social Democrat suddenly looked into the camera instead of the MPs in a special session of the citizenship.

At this point, Tschentscher had already spoken in front of parliament for a few minutes, criticizing opposition leader Dennis Thering (CDU) for its criticism, as the mayor's facial features relaxed.

He smiled and said: "I would like to appeal to all Hamburg residents: stay cautious, adhere to the corona rules - and not only in public spaces, but also in private areas." to avoid.

Because, according to Tschentscher, “we are in a critical situation”.

From the mayor's point of view, this means that in the course of the further opening steps, “the existing restrictions will also be complied with”.

Otherwise the strategy decided by the federal and state governments to gradually lift the strict corona protective measures will not work.

Despite the increasing number of infections and the spread of particularly contagious virus mutations, the openings should be made possible through free rapid tests and more vaccinations.

With a higher vaccination rate, further easing is possible, said Tschentscher.

203 new infections, incidence at 78.7

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203 newly detected corona infections were registered in Hamburg on Wednesday.

That was just as many as the day before, but 31 fewer than on Wednesday a week ago, as the health authority announced.

The incidence, i.e. the number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days, fell from 80.3 to 78.7.

A week ago this value was 80.8.

In order to debate the Senate's new Corona resolutions, the citizenship convened a special meeting in the middle of the spring break.

In the now 33rd and 34th so-called containment ordinances, Red-Green implemented the resolutions of the federal and state governments to extend the lockdown until the end of March and the step-by-step plan for easing one-to-one.

"Of course there is shopping tourism between the countries"

Before the state parliament, Tschentscher also pointed out that there is of course shopping tourism between the federal states.

You have to address that.

In contrast to Hamburg, the retail trade in Schleswig-Holstein has been fully open again since last Monday.

As a result, the concept of the prime minister and the federal government carries a risk, the consequences are unpredictable, said the mayor.

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Tschentscher had previously been attacked by opposition leader Thering.

The mayor only adopted the resolutions of the prime ministerial conference in order to criticize any easing in retrospect.

Even more: the mayor points a finger at others when he blames federal politics in Berlin for mistakes in the procurement of vaccines.

"Unfortunately, Hamburg's mayor also dived into the SPD election campaign," criticized Thering, because now, at the turning point of the pandemic, Tschentscher is playing "games".

“We want to help overcome the crisis.

We expect that from you too, Mr. Mayor, ”emphasized the opposition leader.

"This unbearable behavior harms politics"

However, the Christian Democrat did not hide the fact that he distanced himself from the behavior of Union MPs Nikolas Löbel (CDU) and Georg Nüßlein (CSU), who are said to have earned six-figure sums by brokering mask shops.

Thering said: “Anyone who enriches themselves personally through the crisis and the suffering of other people has no place in a German parliament.” This “unbearable” behavior harms politics in general, the reputation of the Union and can only have one consequence: “the immediate resignation from all offices ”.

Meanwhile, the AfD parliamentary group leader Dirk Nockemann accused the governments at the state and federal level that their lockdown decisions were not evidence-based.

Too little is known about the chains of infection.

"A general lockdown is not legitimate if you do not need it," emphasized Nockemann and called for the immediate opening of the retail trade in Hamburg as well.

The AfD politician also complained about the nature of the police checks with regard to compliance with the Corona rules, in particular the “persecution of young people in Jenischpark”.

That is disproportionate.

Suspected violations of the containment ordinance would also be pursued with the helicopter.

Nockemann: "Never before has there been such a great potential for repression in this city."

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The health expert of the left-wing parliamentary group, Deniz Celik, denounced that the Senate was neglecting quarters like the Veddel or Wilhelmsburg even during the pandemic.

That is an indictment.

"Instead of taking measures for people who need special protection, these parts of the city are disadvantaged," says Celik.

"It can lead to us prolonging the crisis"

Tschentscher rejected the criticism and defended his behavior when coordinating the measures between the federal and state governments.

“We are in a community of infections, in the same boat.

And we in Hamburg cannot determine the course alone, ”said the social democrat, who was recently elected Germany's most popular prime minister - just ahead of Schleswig-Holstein's Daniel Günther (CDU) and Bavaria's Markus Söder (CSU).

The mayor did not want to let his caution be taken on Wednesday either, he made that clear.

It must be clear to everyone that the opening steps that have now taken place are “an additional risk”.

And, stressed Tschentscher further: "It can lead to the fact that we also extend the crisis a little longer."