Press release by the state government of Brandenburg
Status: 13 March, 4:30 p.m.
In order to contain the coronavirus pandemic, there will be no regular childcare or lessons in daycare centres and schools throughout Brandenburg from Wednesday until the end of the Easter holidays. This is due to the current assessment by medical experts. For state universities of applied sciences and universities, the start of face-to-face teaching in the summer semester will be postponed to 20 April 2020. The cancellation of non-essential courses is recommended. The coordination centre at the Ministry of the Interior will be activated. This was agreed today by the state government at a special meeting of the Brandenburg cabinet convened by Minister President Dietmar Woidke.
This was agreed with the districts, independent cities and municipal umbrella organisations in a telephone conference at midday today. An additional meeting with these bodies will take place tomorrow, Saturday, at the State Chancellery (11.00 a.m. meeting; 2.00 p.m. press conference).
When it comes to measures to contain the coronavirus, the state government is prioritising "the health of the population and the ability of the state to function with medical care and the emergency and security services". This was emphasised by Minister President Dietmar Woidke and the Deputy Minister Presidents, Interior Minister Michael Stübgen and Health Minister Ursula Nonnemacher, following the cabinet meeting. Close coordination with the state of Berlin is ongoing. A joint cabinet meeting is planned for 18 March in Potsdam.
Emergency care for children and pupils is to be organised in the municipalities. In individual cases, there have been or will be closures before Wednesday. This applies to Potsdam, for example, due to specific suspected cases.
Education Minister Britta Ernst: "Children and young people are not considered to be particularly at risk. It is primarily about reducing social contact. Schools and daycare centres can make an important contribution to this. Emergency care will be provided for children from the age of 0 to year 6. Teachers will provide children and young people with digital assignments either directly or as part of existing networks. It will also be possible to take school-leaving examinations in 2020."
Woidke informed the members of the state government about the results of yesterday's talks on the coronavirus at the Minister Presidents' Conference and at the meeting with Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. Woidke: "A coordinated approach is needed at federal and state level, taking into account regional particularities. Yesterday's agreement is a good prerequisite for at least slowing down the spread of the coronavirus. At the same time, I would ask the people of Brandenburg to deal with the current situation with prudence and common sense. As regrettable as it may be, this means foregoing events and some social contacts. But my plea: don't go shopping, keep calm. "
The instruction from the Ministry of Health to the districts and independent cities, which was agreed within the state government and published yesterday, ensures a coordinated approach in Brandenburg. This concerns, for example, the limitation of participants at public events to 1,000 people. For certain groups of people, bans on entering hospitals, care homes and schools, for example, have been imposed.
Ursula Nonnemacher: "The precautionary measures we have put in place are aimed at slowing down the spread of the virus. Otherwise, our healthcare system could be overwhelmed, which in turn would lead to a significant increase in the number of cases. With this in mind, we have also decided to close schools and daycare centres. However, emergency care will be provided for children whose parents are urgently needed to maintain medical care, administration and critical infrastructure. We now need to prepare for a large number of Covid-19 patients in need of treatment. To this end, special attention must be paid to the availability of medical and nursing staff, the prioritisation of treatments and the provision of intensive care capacities. All citizens are called upon to be prudent and to take precautions. The familiar hygiene measures - regular hand washing and refraining from shaking hands - can help to contain the spread of the virus."
Michael Stübgen: "The pandemic is a test for our society. But it is a test that we will pass together. Citizens can rely on us as a government to take all the necessary steps to guide Brandenburg safely through the coming weeks. Maintaining medical care and the ability of the security authorities to work now have top priority. It is important to act consistently but prudently. The police are fully operational and we took all the necessary precautions weeks ago. The coordination centre at the Ministry of the Interior, which is normally deployed in major situations such as floods or forest fires, is also ready and all of our experienced experts can be deployed immediately. The safety of the people of Brandenburg is assured."
Brandenburg's Finance Minister Katrin Lange reported at the special cabinet meeting that funds had been made available in the state budget for granting loans to secure liquidity for companies via the consolidation and location protection programme. These funds are intended to supplement the liquidity assistance for Brandenburg's economy announced by the federal government. The corresponding funding guideline will be adapted in the short term with the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Energy. In addition, the Ministry of Finance has released a further 3.4 million euros for the short-term procurement of protective equipment for Brandenburg's hospitals, for example. This means that the Ministry of Health can spend this money over and above the funds allocated in the 2020 budget and thus secure medical care in the state in the short term.
According to Minister of Economic Affairs Jörg Steinbach, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Energy is setting up a "Corona" round table together with the chambers, business associations, trade unions and business development institutions, which will meet for the first time next week. The aim is to gain an overview of the impact of the coronavirus crisis on the regional economy.
A new working group set up at the Ministry is looking at current problems in order to adapt and, if necessary, expand instruments to support companies and employees at state level in addition to the measures already adopted at federal level. The Brandenburg Economic Development Corporation (WFBB), the Investment Bank of the State of Brandenburg (ILB), the state's guarantee bank and Tourismus-Marketing Brandenburg GmbH (TMB) are also represented in the working group. The tourism and event industry is already suffering from the cancellation of trade fairs and major events and the cancellation of trips, as well as the cancellation of events and the closure of facilities in the cultural sector.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs is making additional budget funds available for granting loans to secure liquidity for companies. The consolidation and location protection programme (KoSta) will be opened up to almost all sectors. Previously, the state guideline excluded severely affected economic sectors such as the catering and retail industries.
Companies seeking advice can contact the respective regional centres of the Brandenburg Economic Development Corporation (WFBB). The contact details can be found on the Internet.