Corona in NRW: Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann live

Düsseldorf –

Is the lockdown in North Rhine-Westphalia having an effect? How have the corona numbers developed in the past few days and weeks?

NRW Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann informed on Monday (January 4th) about the situation of the coronavirus pandemic in North Rhine-Westphalia. Laumann has also brought the citizens up to date in connection with the previous course of the corona vaccinations.

NRW Minister of Health Karl-Josef Laumann on the Corona situation

Here you can read the central statements of the NRW Minister of Health Karl-Josef Laumann in an overview. You can also follow the press conference live in the video above.

• 1:27 p.m.: The subject of lockdown should be clarified by the Prime Minister tomorrow. But you only need to look at the current infection numbers to know that there is currently not much space for large openings.

• 1:24 p.m.: I personally cannot understand the low willingness of the medical staff to vaccinate. All I know about this vaccine is that it is considered very responsible.

• 1:21 p.m.: A single vaccination is not permitted in connection with the vaccine preparation. That is why we stick to the given plan that we will start with the second wave of vaccinations from the 3rd calendar week.

• 1:18 p.m.: By the time the new vaccine doses arrive, we will use up the current vaccine stocks. This is a coherent cycle.

• 1:12 p.m.: When the new approved vaccines arrive, we will significantly increase our vaccination capacities again. When this is the time is still unclear.

  Our plans have therefore been implemented very well so far. It runs relatively smoothly.

• 1:07 p.m.: We will receive a total of 920,000 vaccine doses in NRW up to and including the 7th calendar week. Which means that we can vaccinate another 400,000 people from that time.

  We can offer 90,000 hospitals a vaccination offer within the 3rd calendar week.

  Also in the 3rd calendar week we will write to all over 80 year olds that the vaccination centers will then be ready for them.

  The vaccination centers should be available for this population group of 1 million people in North Rhine-Westphalia from the beginning of February.

• 1:04 p.m.: We have to analyze the current figures with caution at the moment, because about a quarter less was tested over the Christmas days.

  The situation in our hospitals did not change significantly over the Christmas period. Neither down nor up. 940 free intensive care beds in NRW. We still have enough free intensive care beds available in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Federal-state talks on lockdown: extension likely

Shortly before the new federal-state talks, everything boils down to an extension of the lockdown in Germany and North Rhine-Westphalia. An extension of the lockdown until January 31st is currently under discussion. However, it is unclear whether the restrictions will also be extended in North Rhine-Westphalia – and what will happen to schools and daycare centers.

Here, after the talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) on Tuesday, the countries could drive different lines.

NRW Prime Minister Armin Laschet has already announced that he considers an end to the lockdown with the current number of new infections to be unlikely. (jv)