Alberto Fernández quoted it: Merkel’s harsh speech and the measures he took for schools

BERLIN The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, urged parliament to pass a bill giving her government new powers to force closures and curfews in areas with high rates of coronavirus infection., while the number of cases continues to increase. The Chancellor’s speech today was quoted by President Alberto Fernández during the press conference he gave after his meeting with the head of government of Buenos Aires, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta.

Speaking to lower house lawmakers on Friday, Merkel – who received the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Friday – warned that Germany was “Firmly in the clutches of the third wave”.

“The situation is serious, very serious and we must take it seriouslyHe said, noting that the majority of citizens were in favor of introducing stricter measures. Merkel’s speech came when Germany recorded 25,831 new cases of Covid-19 and 247 deaths, according to the Center for Disease Control at the Robert Koch Institute.

“The virus does not witness half measures. He only understands one language: force ”, The Chancellor stressed, adding that the coronavirus “does not negotiate” and that “the hesitation is unnecessary. The Chancellor devoted part of her speech to specifically defending her proposed curfew, one of the most criticized measures and the most contested – from the opposition, business and civil society – of this government bill.

Markel also said that intensive care workers “sent one distress call after another” in the middle of the climb.

“Who are we to ignore their calls?” Merkel said. “We cannot be allowed to leave doctors and nurses alone.” The Chancellor wants to change the infection protection law so that federal authorities can tighten restrictions, even if regional leaders resist.

The move aims to put an end to the ‘mosaic’ approach that has characterized the response to the pandemic in the 16 German states so far. Lockdown measures are currently being decided at the state level and many have expressed frustration and confusion in recent months. when governors interpreted the rules agreed with the federal government in different ways, despite similar infection rates.

If taken into effect, the change would allow the federal government to place an “emergency brake” on regions when the spread of the coronavirus becomes too rapid and more than 100 new weekly cases are recorded per 100,000 population.

Currently, the infection rate in Germany is over 160 cases per 100,000 inhabitants per week.

the The “emergency brake” would lead to a uniform set of rules that would result in the closure of shops, cultural and sports facilities, limits on personal contact and nighttime curfews.

The bill provides, in addition to the curfew, limit interpersonal contacts to partners and an outside person from 100 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants in seven days, as well as the closure of non-essential businesses, culture, recreation and restaurants.

Schools will maintain face-to-face classes (although with restrictions) of up to 200 cases per 100,000 population in seven days, although from 100 positive cases two rapid antigen tests per week will be mandatory. The bill also requires employers to offer their workers in person at least one weekly test (telecommuting has been recommended nationwide for months).

Passing the bill will likely be an uphill battle for Merkel, as state governments are reluctant to cede authority over healthcare to the federal administration.

His speech in parliament was interrupted by boos from lawmakers belonging to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which has consistently opposed the Covid-19 closures.

Merkel has also been criticized within her own conservative bloc., which, according to opinion polls, will suffer its worst result in the upcoming national elections in September.

The proposed change to the infection protection law must be approved by the lower house of parliament and the upper state house. The lower house is expected to vote on the bill next week, and the upper house will follow.

The importance of vaccines

Merkel admitted the new powers were not a foolproof solution to the pandemic, which she said he could only be beaten with vaccinesHowever, he called for coordination between different levels of government to limit the spread of the most transmissible strain of coronavirus, the British variant, which is spreading throughout Germany.

“There is no way to avoid that. We have to stop this third wave of the pandemic,” Merkel said. “And to do that, we need to combine the strengths of federal, state and local governments better than we ever have been.”

The AfD, like many far-right groups in Europe, argues that the restrictions have failed to stop the pandemic and cause further damage to the economy and people’s mental health, claiming that the Distancing measures are an unprecedented attack on fundamental democratic freedoms.

“The proposed amendments to the infection protection law are an alarming document from an authoritarian state,” AfD parliamentary official Alice Weidel said on Friday.

AP, AFP and Reuters agencies

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