“Hart aber fair”: schools could face major problem

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Concerns about rising numbers of Corona infections also preoccupied ARD host Frank Plasberg on "Hart aber fair" Monday night
At ie was whether Germany was simply lucky in the Corona pandemic
Karl Lauterbach used thereby its appearance, in order to ie – once again – a warning

Rising infection rates, regional lockdowns: talk shows are once again having a hard time getting around Corona these days, and for good reason. No wonder, then, that even "Hart aber fair" on Monday evening with the pandemic occupied. "Has Germany Corona-Dusel?", wanted to host Frank Plasberg Know. Latest news on the coronavirus in the news ticker

"Hart but fair" – those were the guests

Discussed the topic of

Karl Lauterbach (SPD),
Karoline Preisler (FDP) and
the doctor Andreas Gassen,
the journalist Susanne Gaschke,
Michael Preetz of Hertha BSC and
the actor Dieter Hallervorden.

Karl Lauterbach expects 7,000 Corona cases a day

Health politician Karl Lauterbach used the appearance, in keeping with his previous role in the pandemic, to ie an urgent warning. "We're not getting into a normality, we're getting away from it," the SPD health politician said. There was some relief in the summer, but now a second wave threatens with the coming fall.

That it will happen is set for Lauterbach. In a few weeks, he said, there would be daily around 7.000 new cases, he predicted. Then a follow-up would no longer be possible. This is why the quarantine period must be shortened. Also, private parties should be limited to 25 people. However, Lauterbach is most critical of the Schools: "We are going to have huge problems in the schools," warned the deputy. Read here: Current RKI case numbers and Corona reproduction factor.

"Giant buffer on intensive care units"

The assessment sounded quite plausible. It is enough to look at other European countries to guess that the situation could develop in this way. However, the way Lauterbach presented his perspective was somewhat alarmist.

Glasses reduce risk of infection with Covid-19

The round brought the Health expert with it against itself. "We have a huge buffer," said Andreas Gassen, head of the panel doctors, referring to the relaxed situation in the intensive care units. That's why it's now time to try something out. Journalist Susanne Gaschke also called for a review of current measures in light of the calm situation. If the situation worsens, one would have to change course again. Read here: Corona infections in schools on the rise – Christian Drosten reacts.

Corona survived – and yet for loosening up

Karoline Preisler's attitude was remarkable. In the spring, the FDP local politician himself had to cope with a moderately severe Covid course go through. "The shortness of breath was overwhelming," Preisler reported. Mild symptoms were followed by more severe ones; in the meantime, she had word-finding problems. Even now, six months later, she is still not really fit.

Nevertheless, Preisler did not share the view of Karl Lauterbach. "I don't want to be taken by the reins," she said, referring to his statement that politics must now tighten the reins again. The restrictions on fundamental rights would have to be weighed more regularly. "Personally, I wouldn't go to the theater. But I don't like it when I'm forbidden to do it," said Preisler, summing up her attitude.

Corona: When to speak of a second wave

These well-known politicians must fear for their direct mandate

Many politicians – especially from the CDU – have to fear for their direct mandate shortly before the election. They include well-known candidates such as Federal Economics Minister Peter Altmaier, Defense Minister Annegret Kamp-Karrenbauer, Agriculture Minister Julia Klockner and Philipp Amthor, top candidate in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Paul Ziemiak and Hans-Georg Maaben, ex-president of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, are in a similar position. They all have in their constituencies strong Competition: Altmaier, for instance, must stand up to Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD).

The reason cited for this is the general weakness of the Christian Democrats in the Polls cited. As the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" reports, the Union could lose 29 direct mandates with a probability of 85 percent – the majority of them to the SPD.

Many politicians can make it into parliament via state lists

This does not automatically mean the political end. For most prominent CDU politicians are about State lists secured. Means: They could also enter parliament without a mandate.

Also known Social Democrats must tremble for their direct mandate. Karl Lauterbach is among them. The health expert, who made his mark in the Corona crisis, faces a particular dilemma in that his state party has put him on a hopeless 23. The first place on the list has been chosen by the. If he loses the direct mandate, his time in the Bundestag is probably passe.

Scholz and Baerbock are fighting for the same constituency

Lauterbach is not alone in this in his party. Kevin Kuhnert, deputy leader of the Bundestag since 2019, is also fighting for a seat in the Parliament. Kuhnert's problem: In his Berlin constituency of Tempelhof-Schoneberg, a veteran of the Green Party is competing with him for first place: Renate Kunast, former agriculture minister and parliamentary group leader and a member of the Bundestag for almost 20 years.

It will be explosive on Sunday in the constituency 61 (Potsdam-Mittelmark II – Teltow-Flaming II). Annalena Baerbock (Greens) and Olaf Scholz (SPD) are not only two candidates for chancellor, but both are also fighting for a direct mandate. Scholz, who is running in the constituency for the first time, can face the ie calmly, however: In Brandenburg, his comrades elected him to first place on the state list. And even for Kuhnert, the dream of the Bundestag without a mandate would not have burst – in Berlin, he made it to third place on the list.

Further south in Stuttgart, meanwhile, Cem ozdemir is once again attempting to win the direct mandate. In 2017, the former chairman and top candidate of the Green Party lost to CDU politician Stefan Kaufmann. And this year, another personal matter complicates the competition for ozdemir: Bernd Riexinger from Die Linke is running in the constituency another nationally known politician to. In the end, only one can win.

Insurance companies are happy to collect premiums but reluctant to pay in the event of a claim – a stereotype that numerous restaurants and businesses saw confirmed after the spring shutdown. Many companies, which are opposed to Business closures The companies that felt they were covered did not receive any money in the end. The Insurers found backdoors to refuse payment. This has triggered a wave of lawsuits, of which the first results can now be seen.

On Thursday, the Munich Regional Court announced a first interim status: Even if the pathogen Sars-CoV-2 is not explicitly mentioned in the contract, the insurers must pay in principle. On behalf of many other eateries, the Paulaner-Wirtshaus am Nockherberg in Munich, among others, had filed a lawsuit against the insurance market leader Allianz; according to legal experts, the innkeepers now have a good chance of winning in court. Final ruling still pending here.

Court: daycare center with emergency operations not entitled to insurance benefits

The judge spoke on Thursday at the same time a clear judgement in a parallel running procedure. A daycare center had also sued for insurance benefits. She did, however, offer emergency care during the shutdown. "The relevant policy terms, however, required a complete business closure for the insured event to occur," the court said. It has therefore dismissed the lawsuit.

However, the judge also emphasized that it still depends on the respective contract. The wording is different in each case, because neither customers nor providers have yet looked in detail at the pas to epidemics. "Until this spring, health risks ranked far down the list of specific fears," says George Abegg, Expert for insurance law at the law firm Rodl Partner. It wasn't until just before the lockdown that insurance customers looked at their policies: Am I insured against a business closure caused by an epidemic?

Corona crisis: widespread loss of revenue hardly seemed real for a long time

Insurers themselves have also included illnesses in the list of covered perils for years without charging a significant premium for them. Apparently they did not really expect significant payments.

Despite warnings of experts the danger of a surface covering loss of sales by an illness in Germany appeared evenly for a long time only little real. While insurers worked through the details of the consequences of climate change in the drought years, the pandemic scenarios there were still in the making.

A wave of lawsuits is rolling in on insurers

It will now be all the more expensive for the insurance industry. It had only factored in individual claims for illnesses, such as an occasional restaurant closure due to salmonella. Instead, she now sees a wave of claims rolling towards her. There are alone between 25.000 and 40.000 restaurants, cafes and hotels that have business lockdown insurance, estimates the Dehoga restaurant association.

If epidemics are covered, insurers must pay owners per diem for shutdown period. At least that was the hope of the innkeepers – all the greater was then the anger when the providers refused to compensate them. The court in Munich alone has already received 72 lawsuits for non-payment of shutdown insurance policies.

Insurers argue with cases of illness in the businesses

The dispute now also concerns which epidemics are covered under which circumstances. During the shutdown, the insurers argue that there were often no cases of illness in the business at all.

Some insurance policies also refer to Section 7 of the Protection Against Infection Act, which contains a long list of reportable diseases that qualify as causes of insured events. From anthrax to Ebola, plague and leprosy to the Zika virus, the horrors of mankind are listed here, but also everyday pathogens such as measles or the norovirus. However, the federal parliament did not add Sars-CoV-2 to the list until February.

This is now the source of contention in many cases. If an insurance policy refers to the law for covered illnesses – does the catch at the time the policy was written, the catch at the time of the business closure, or a later updated catch apply? When the contract was signed, Covid did not even exist yet. Some insurers are now insisting they don't have to pay for an illness not mentioned at the time.

However, the Regional Court of Mannheim has already ruled in April, such area-wide plant closures should be covered by insurance. This catching protects the rights of the insured and should generally prevail, demands expert Abegg.

Abegg advises taking a close look at existing business interruption insurance documents. If the type of business interruption covered is kept comparatively open, it tends to be a good insurance policy. "The reference to the Infection Protection Act also makes sense," says Abegg.

It would be best to make it clear that the law is meant in its current form. Less good policies contain explicit lists of insured risks. "If then the case that actually occurs is not in it, the insured has bad cards," says Abegg.

Business interruption insurance is part of property insurance, which is actually supposed to cover property damage. So these insurances are actually meant to step in when production facilities break down, for example due to flooding. This is another reason why many insurers find it difficult to regulate. Epidemics were originally an afterthought of the fire insurance industry. Here again they thought more cases like that of an ice cream parlor that has to close because of diarrhea.

"Hart but fair" – those were the guests

Karl Lauterbach expects 7,000 Corona cases a day

"Giant buffer on intensive care units"

Corona survived – and yet for loosening up

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