Corona: Now comes the Advent lockdown

Ana Goldscheider studied journalism and corporate communication in Hamburg and is now completing additional training as an editor. In a medical editorial office, she writes texts for print magazines and, among other things.

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The partial lockdown planned as a "breakwater" in November has not yet brought the hoped-for relaxation of the corona numbers. Therefore it will probably be extended until at least shortly before Christmas. The federal and state governments will agree on the details on Wednesday. These are the most important details.

Before the consultations between Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and the Prime Ministers of the federal states on how to proceed in the Corona crisis on November 25, the first proposals leaked. Nothing has been decided yet, but it is becoming clear what everyone will have to be prepared for in the run-up to Christmas, the holidays and New Year's Eve. Restaurants, cultural, sports and leisure facilities will probably not open again this year, and Christmas may only be celebrated in small groups.

How are the restrictions justified?

The corona numbers have not yet decreased as hoped. So far, only a "sideways trend" can be observed, according to a paper with which the SPD-led federal states entered the preliminary talks. You are therefore proposing to extend the November measures until December 20th.

After that, they should be extended for a further 14 days if the numbers do not decrease. The federal states governed by the Union are also in favor of extending the measures until shortly before Christmas. The 14-day extension does not appear in your preparatory paper. Instead, the Union countries propose to decide again on December 15 how to proceed.

Further financial aid for companies?

Affected companies can most likely count on further financial aid: The "November aid" should be extended as "December aid", suggest the Union-governed federal states. The help is essential for companies and employees. In addition, it is an important element for the high level of acceptance of the necessary protective measures among the citizens, it said in the paper of the SPD side. The expenditure for the support in November is put at 15 billion euros.

When can there be easing again?

The decisive factor for this is the number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days. If it is below 50, countries should be able to relax, suggest the Union countries. For the period up to December 20, the SPD side suggests that regional easing should be possible, where this new infection value is below 35 - after that 50 is also given as the target.

The chances that this will be achieved quickly, however, are poor in most parts of Germany. There are very few counties - especially in the north - that have such good numbers.

How many people can we celebrate Christmas with?

The number ten is under discussion here - but negotiations are still underway. First of all, private meetings are to be further restricted from the beginning of December. There are indications that gatherings of two households will remain permitted, but in future only with a maximum of five instead of the previous ten people - children up to 14 should not be included.

The new rule of five could then be temporarily relaxed again over Christmas and perhaps also over New Year's Eve. In the end, as always, everything will be specifically designed in the respective corona regulations of the federal states.

Is it allowed to shoot on New Year's Eve?

The question has not yet been answered. The SPD side is in favor of a ban on the sale of fireworks and a ban on firecrackers. The Union side would rather appeal to the people to forego the bang and would like a firecracker ban only in busy places.

What is happening in the schools?

After everything that was known in advance, the statement remains that the face-to-face teaching should generally be continued. The Union side is in favor of a stricter mask requirement: All students should wear masks in front of and on the school premises and in class. Exceptions for primary schools should be possible.

The SPD side is in favor of a mask requirement in class from the 7th grade in regions where there are significantly more than 50 infections per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days - which is currently the case almost everywhere.

As is so often the case, the reality when it comes to masks is regional. The countries have already issued their own rules. In Bavaria, for example, there has been a mask requirement for primary school students in hotspot regions for a long time. In other countries, a mask requirement has been introduced from the fifth grade.

What about the alternate classes?

This is also partly taking place regionally. A general announcement that this type of shift operation should now be repeated everywhere is not to be expected. In the paper of the SPD side, this is explicitly left to the federal states, which are also responsible for education and schools themselves. With alternating lessons, for example, classes are divided and then taught alternately at school and at home.

The chairman of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder (KMK), the Rhineland-Palatinate Education Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD), pointed out on Monday that there is no "automatism" with the change model, but that decisions are made on site. In the preparatory paper of the Union side, it was only briefly: "Change model in infection hotspots; possible in higher grades". Everyone agrees that the younger pupils in particular should stay in class for the longest.

Will the Christmas holidays be extended?

That is what the Union side proposes. "Bringing forward the Christmas holidays from December 21st to enable contact reduction before Christmas," it says. Most of the federal states are going on vacation on this day anyway. In six federal states they officially begin two days later - on Wednesday, one day before Christmas Eve.

North Rhine-Westphalia has already announced that it will bring its vacation start two days forward. In the paper of the SPD side there is no mention of extended Christmas holidays. The Schleswig-Holstein Education Minister Karin Prien (CDU) had also shown herself to be open to extending the vacation backwards. (ag / dpa)

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