In the summer, a Thuringian bratwurst made a name for itself, which was served free of charge to those who wanted to be vaccinated.

On Saturday, the Mecklenburg Lake District district was able to use a similar lure to get numerous people to be vaccinated: The rescue workers based in Neubrandenburg organized an “open day” and offered roast pork.

Within four hours, 201 visitors were vaccinated, said vaccination coordinator Sebastian Buse of the German press agency.

At times there was a long queue.

Among those willing to vaccinate were 48 women and men who received their first vaccination and 130 who received their third immunization.

With the offer, two birds could be killed with one stone: On the one hand, the vaccination campaign was boosted, and on the other hand, the medical and care train was able to try out newly acquired field cookers.

For the food they were looking for buyers anyway, according to the vaccination coordinator.

Pressure on the federal and state governments is increasing

Because the vaccination rate across Germany is still too low and the number of infections is increasing, the pressure is growing before the federal and state meeting on Thursday. In a call on Saturday, 35 leading medical professionals and other experts called on governments to change course quickly. The researchers, led by internist Michael Hallek and virologist Melanie Brinkmann, complain "the repeated negligent treatment of the well-being of people who depend on the protection of the state". They warn: “Every day of waiting costs human lives.” In the appeal published by the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger and Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, they call for a national crisis team with experts and practitioners from virology, medicine and companies.

Meanwhile, there was criticism from the ranks of the Greens of the traffic light parties' plan to let the special status of the epidemic situation expire on a national level.

The Green Health Ministers of Hesse, Brandenburg and Baden-Württemberg are calling for an extension of the special legal situation, which would allow contact and exit restrictions even without renewed approval by the Bundestag.

"This ensures that all the measures required by the experts can be implemented," says a statement by Kai Klose (Hesse), Ursula Nonnemacher (Brandenburg) and Manne Lucha (Baden-Württemberg), which the German press Agency is present.

Merkel promotes uniformity

The Bundestag is due to vote on the change on Thursday.

The Union parliamentary group wants to apply for an extension of the special status, as the Rheinische Post reported on the weekend.

In addition, she proposes changes for the revision of the Infection Protection Act planned by the traffic light parties: Employers should be given the right to ask questions in order to be able to determine the vaccination status of their employees;

Gaps in criminal liability for falsifying vaccination passports are to be closed.