According to the German Newsroom Network, the Social Democrat Olaf Scholz has spent 53.2 billion euro to fight the coronavirus outbreak. This Sunday’s report was based on an interparliamentary reply from the federal Ministry of Health, to questions from the Christian Social Union of Bavaria, (CSU), and conservative Christians. Up to now, 6.8 billion euros have been allocated by Berlin’s executive to purchase vaccines. Another 46.4 billion euros has been spent on vaccination centers, testing to detect coronaviruses, protective masks, and compensatory payments to clinics. The information is also available at hospitals.
In the meantime, there are voices calling for urgent preparations to prevent a new wave of infection next fall, due to the increasing number of infections caused by the new omicron variation. In statements to Sunday Welt am Sonntag, Marko Buschmann (liberal federal Minister of Justice) says that Scholz will likely present a plan to stop the new wave. Buschmann states that the mask “will play a part for sure” in the newspaper. However, he doesn’t give any more details about the federal government’s plans.
The minister spoke out about the expert report on Friday regarding the effectiveness of measures taken to combat the pandemic. He said that it was “our duty to worry about providing proportional legal foundations and taking advantage current knowledge with respect to this evaluator guild. We should study that report now, and then we’ll see how we act. However, the liberal politician emphasizes that possible confinements, closing of educational centers, and movement restrictions are not proportionate.
Experts who advise the German government often highlight that masks are still effective in preventing the spread of the virus. However, they must be used properly. They question many restrictions that were put in place over the past two and a quarter years, particularly those that were applied long-term, such as closing down shops, bars, cafes, and restaurants without basic necessities or closing educational centers because of the adverse effects on children, adolescents, and young people. This guild of experts also includes 18 scientists from other disciplines as well as economists and jurists.
