Host Nation COVID-19 News Stories for April 29 - US Army ...

Host Nation COVID-19 News Stories for April 29

Cancellation of Town festival and “Summer at the lake”
The corona virus and the associated restrictions on public life affect events. The crisis
committee of the city of Böblingen has agreed on the following regulation. It will apply with
immediate effect until presumably August 31, 2020 - unless the Corona Ordinance of the
state specifies stricter requirements (as currently until May 3):
Municipal public events as well as third party events in public space or on public property
will not take place or will not be approved. This also applies to events by external parties on
municipal premises.
"We have made this decision anything but easy for ourselves. But it is important and right in
the current situation. In this way we are creating planning security for us as a city, but also for
private or external organisers. We deliberately did not make a distinction according to the
number of participants, however, we took into account the nationwide time horizon for major
events," explains Lord Mayor Dr. Stefan Belz.
This also affects the traditional Böblingen city festival. Congress Center
Böblingen/Sindelfingen (CCBS) GmbH has been commissioned by the city as a service
provider for the organisation and implementation of the city festival. Unfortunately, the 39th
edition from July 3 to 5 2020 cannot take place. This applies to the three festival courtyards
Marktplatz, Pestalozzihof and Elbenplatz, the pleasure mile in the Upper Poststraße as well as
the Lake Side Festival, Krämermarkt and flea market.
 A postponement into autumn is out of the question for various reasons. "It’s a great loss for
2020, but in view of the corona virus it is inevitable. We are therefore looking optimistically
towards 2021 and are looking forward to a brilliant festival, then probably from July 2 - 4
July 2021," says CCBS Managing Director Georg Sommer.
The popular urban event series "Summer at the Lake" will also not take place. Organizer
Andreas Wolfer from the Department of Culture: "We very much regret this decision.
However, we cannot sufficiently implement the necessary distance and hygiene rules in the
Alte TÜV-Halle even for smaller events".
The Office of Culture is currently working on a concept for the Böblinger Songtage (days of
music and song) in particular to hold this event in digital form.
Lord Mayor Dr. Stefan Belz concludes: "This far-reaching decision is a difficult one,
especially for the volunteers in the associations and organizations of our city. We are all
aware of this. Under the current circumstances, however, precaution and caution are the top
priorities. We are taking responsibility for the health of the population.” (Press Release, City
of Boeblingen)

Austrians are allowed out again, hotels will soon be welcoming guests again
The Minister of Tourism Elisabeth Köstinger (ÖVP) had good news on Tuesday - not only
for restaurateurs. .
Vienna - Just get out, meet friends, see your family again, go out for dinner and spend your
holidays in local hotels: With the end of exit restrictions on May 1, Austria is taking big steps
toward normality. The Corona crisis in the Alpine Republic seems to be under control like in
hardly any other country in Europe. At least for the time being, nothing stands in the way of
the economy starting up on an ever broader front. The opening of the construction markets
and small shops on April 14 did not have a negative impact on the very positive trend, said
Health Minister Rudolf Anschober (Greens) on Tuesday in Vienna. From the government's
point of view, this is a clear indication that, if the hygiene rules that continue to apply -
minimum distance and a mouth and nose protection - are observed, consumption and health
need not be a contradiction in terms.
"We can let the initial restrictions expire, we do not need to continue them", said Anschober
with a view to May 1. The basis for setting the course is the extremely low infection rates in
Austria. Only a few dozen people in Austria are currently infected with sars-CoV-2 every
day. Only 700 patients are in hospital. Thousands of beds for Covid-19 patients are empty.
According to Anschober, the reproductive factor is 0.59 and thus lower than ever before. The
factor indicates how many people an infected person will be infected with the virus.
Restaurants open on 15 May
The way is now clear for the opening of all shops and the offers of many service providers
from 2 May. Restaurants and bars are to follow from 15 May - as already communicated for
some time. A maximum of four adults per table will then be allowed and a minimum distance
of one metre must be maintained between the individual table groups, said Tourism Minister
Elisabeth Köstinger (ÖVP). A free choice of seats was not possible. The tables would be
assigned. The government also recommends prior reservation. Personnel in contact with
guests must wear a mouth guard at work.
As the bars have to close at 11 pm, discos and nightclubs continue to face an uncertain future.
"It is not possible to make a plausible prognosis for the coming months regarding bars with
loud music", said Köstinger.
On Tuesday the government also provided news for the hotel industry, which is important in
Austria. All accommodation facilities are allowed to receive guests again from May 29
onwards. "The entire industry has put on the brakes. The last few weeks have been extremely
difficult for businesses, in many cases of course threatening their existence", said Köstinger.
The hotels had been closed by government decree at the end of March. Köstinger was not yet
able to give details of the restart on May 29. However, she pointed out that the rules will be
similar to those in the catering industry. (Stuttgarter Nachrichten, April 28)

Cannstatter Volksfest will not be able to take place in 2020
The Cannstatter Volksfest cannot take place this year. This is the result of a draft resolution
for the municipal council, which Lord Mayor Fritz Kuhn presented at a press conference on
Wednesday, April 29.
Lord Mayor Kuhn explained: "It is a tough decision. After intensive consideration, one thing
is clear: health protection does not allow for any other option. We are all currently making
great efforts to contain the spread of the virus. We cannot jeopardize that. We want to and
must protect guests from near and far, our citizens, the landlords, the showmen, service
providers and even the hotel industry from infection. He said that until autumn it was unlikely
that a high level of contagion had been reached or that a vaccine or an effective drug had
been developed. "It is a comfort to know that we will be celebrating an even better festival
after the end of the Corona crisis," said Kuhn.
The head of the Health Department, Prof. Stefan Ehehalt, said: " The public festival could
cause the coronavirus to spread across national borders. We have thought about how we can
minimize risks, but such requirements cannot be implemented at a festival of this type and
size.
Thomas Fuhrmann, Mayor for Economic Affairs, Finance and Investments, said: "It was a
difficult decision, but the right one. The citizens will certainly accept it, because the concern
is great. We are in exchange with the entertainers and caterers. The federal and state
governments have provided assistance for them. We also want to help them."
The managing director of the in Stuttgart Event Company mbH & Co.KG, Andreas Kroll:
"There is enormous regret among all those involved. The consequences are significant. But
our health comes first." 300 showmen and exhibitors, were directly affected. "We are
confident that we will be able to celebrate the 175th Cannstatter Volksfest in 2021 and then
enjoy it in a relaxed atmosphere and with great joy," said Kroll. The economic significance of
the festival for the city and the region is estimated at half a billion euros. (Press release
Stuttgart April 29, 2020)

Higher risk of wildfire due to high temperatures, persistent dry weather
Due to the current fair weather situation and the lack of rain, the risk of wildfires in Baden-
Württemberg's forests has risen sharply. In the coming days, the second highest danger level
will continue to exist, and the lower state forestry authority of Stuttgart in the Garden,
Cemetery and Forestry Office and the forest owner Forst BW are jointly calling for a smoke
and fire ban. The consequences of disregarding this decision could be dramatic.
Observe safety instructions: From March 1st to October 31st there is a general ban on
smoking in the forest, making fires is only allowed at the official, permanently installed
fireplaces on the barbecue sites. In the event of a particularly high local fire risk, the Garden,
Cemetery and Forestry Offices may also decide to ban fires from official barbecue sites.
Currently, all barbecue sites are closed by the Corona Ordinance until further notice. It is not
allowed to grill in the forest on grills that you have brought with you. Glass bottles and
broken glass lying in the sun can also cause a forest or area fire.

There was already a fire near the Bärensee on Thursday 23 April. Dry leaves and a pine tree
had caught fire on about 200 square metres. Thanks to rapid reporting and the intervention of
the fire brigade, the fire was quickly extinguished and further spread was prevented.
Enormous resources of personnel and material are required to fight the fire, and the animals
and plants suffer considerable damage. Such fires can be avoided through responsible
interaction with nature.
Report any fire immediately If a wildfire is detected - even if it is very small - the fire brigade
should immediately call the emergency number 112, giving as much information as possible
about the place and the route so that the firefighters can start their work as soon as possible. It
is helpful to wait for the firefighters at the key locations to guide them to the scene of the fire
and to show them the way. Those who have been able to extinguish the fire themselves
should always call the fire brigade for a follow-up inspection. (Press release Stuttgart April
29, 2020)

Virologist warns: Germany is not testing at full capacity
According to the Robert Koch Institute, the number of tests for the coronavirus in Germany is
declining. Last week, 323,449 people were tested for the Covid-19 pathogen, 85,000 fewer
than the week before.
More than 800,000 tests could be carried out per week. "The number of tests may have
decreased because the number of Covid diseases - and the number of suspected cases
associated with them - has decreased," said a spokeswoman for the RKI. For virologist
Alexander Kekulé, it was a "very bad sign" that such sparing testing was being done and that
capacities were not being used sufficiently. "Especially now in the relaxation phase, we have
to test massively in order to protect risk groups and prevent outbreaks of infection," he told
"Der Spiegel". (Robert-Koch Institute April 29, 2020)

Doctors are observing extreme forms of thrombosis in Corona patients
Thromboses are one of the complications of infections with the novel coronavirus that
physicians in China, Europe and the USA report on. Blood clots are not only dangerous for
the limbs, but can also find their way into the lungs, heart or brain, causing pulmonary
embolism, heart attacks and strokes. A recent study published in the Dutch journal
"Thrombosis Research" showed that almost one in three of 184 corona patients examined had
thrombotic complications. The risk of thrombosis from Covid-19 is considered very high, so
patients "may need to be given prophylactic blood thinners," writes a research team led by
New York physician Behnood Bikdeli in the Journal of The American College of Cardiology.
It is still unclear why blood clots can form with Covid-19. One possible explanation is that
people who fall seriously ill often suffer from pre-existing heart and lung diseases that
already increase the risk of thrombosis.(News channel Ntv April 29, 2020)

Travel warning will probably be extended
The current worldwide travel warning is to be extended until at least mid-June. This is
planned by the Foreign Office according to a media report. It is unclear what will happen
with the summer vacations.
The German government wants to extend the worldwide travel warning due to the
coronavirus pandemic. According to a report in "Der Spiegel", citing a corresponding
resolution proposal that the Foreign Office had agreed among the federal ministries shortly
before the cabinet meeting, the current travel warning is to remain in effect "until further
notice", and at least until 14 June. The situation would be reassessed before that date, he said,
and close coordination with the EU's neighbours would be a priority.
The travel warning was justified by the fact that normal travel abroad would not be possible
in the next few weeks, they said. According to the Foreign Office, drastic restrictions in
international air traffic and worldwide entry bans or quarantine regulations are to be
expected. The travel warning was also intended to minimize the further spread of the virus
and to prevent German travelers from being stranded abroad again. (News channel Ard April
29, 2020)

Severe disease pattern in children throughout Europe
British doctors have issued a warning to the public that intensive care units are accumulating
cases of seriously ill children - not all of which have tested positive for coronavirus. The
children, who belong to different age groups, were "extremely ill", reports the BBC, citing a
warning from the National Health Service (NHS England).
Previously, the "Health Service Journal" had already reported on the NHS warning. It
reported: "There is growing concern that a (Covid-19) related syndrome is occurring in
children in the UK or that another as yet unidentified infectious agent may be linked to these
cases. A request from the Newspaper WELT to the NHS has remained unanswered so far.
The symptoms - some of which are quite typical of a corona infection - were often similar to
those of toxic shock syndrome, according to concurring media reports, including elevated
body temperature, low blood pressure or breathing difficulties. In addition, there were
sometimes gastrointestinal complaints such as abdominal pain, vomiting or diarrhea, an
inflammation of the heart muscle or unusual blood values. Doctors associated this collection
of symptoms with Kawasaki syndrome, which is a rare blood vessel disease.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said at a press conference on Monday that he was "very
concerned" about the reports. Stephen Powis, medical director for England in the National
Health Service, added that it was an "urgent matter" that needed to be investigated.
Similar cases have occurred in Italy and Spain. However, the Spanish Association of
Paediatricians had recently issued a similar warning. Doctors had been warned in recent
weeks that a certain number of school-age children had suffered "from unusual stomach pains
with stomach and intestinal symptoms". Within hours, the children could go into shock and

get low blood pressure and heart problems. The patients must be admitted to hospital
immediately, the association wrote.
In Italy, pediatrician Angelo Ravelli wrote a warning to 10,000 colleagues. He and his team
had recorded an unusually high number of patients with Kawasaki syndrome. Some of the
children had contracted Covid-19 or had had contact with confirmed cases of the virus. Great
Britain, Italy and Spain are three of the countries most affected by corona virus worldwide.
(News channel Welt April 29, 2020)

Childcare providers are concerned about keeping infections from spreading
Keep your distance! Wear a mask! That's not something you can teach young children. The
Stuttgart Youth Welfare Office and the Protestant day-care centre see severe problems in the
implementation of the extended emergency care - and fear for the health of their teachers.
Stuttgart - With the relaxation of the corona rules, emergency care in the day-care centres is
to be expanded. According to the Ministry of Education, parents who do not work in
professions that are critical to the system will also be entitled to this as of April 27. They will
have to get a confirmation from their employer that they are obliged to be present at work .
This expansion is causing Stuttgart's day-care providers a lot of trouble. Susanne Heynen, the
head of the Youth Welfare Office, reports that many are " horrified" by the expansion, as it is
difficult or impossible to reconcile it with the hygiene rules in the course of Covid-19. Jörg
Schulze-Gronemeyer from the Protestant daycare provider lacks clearer guidelines for its 106
facilities: "We do not feel sufficiently supported.
The head of the office emphasizes: "The daycare centers are closed - it's an emergency group
program." The parents must be aware that the larger the groups, the greater the risk of
infection. For the children, but also for the teachers. "Keeping a 14-month-old child at a
distance of 1.5 meters - is impossible," says Heynen. Putting on a mask for children is also
unrealistic. The Parents' Council of the Stuttgart daycare centers also agrees: "In these
challenging times, our children are best cared for in their own families," he writes to the
parents. (News channel Stuttgarter Nachrichten April 28, 2020)