Many thanks to Hellequin GB for translating this article from FOCUS Online:

The draft resolution is there: The Corona summit is about these lockdown points

Before the Corona summit on Wednesday with the Chancellor, the signs are pointing to the extension of the lockdown. This emerges from the first draft resolution from the federal states and the Federal Chancellery, which is now available.

On Wednesday, Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and the heads of government of the federal states will discuss how things should continue after the expiry of the Corona requirements that apply until February 14. Although the spread of the virus is slowing down, there is no prospect of rapid easing. This is also evident from the first resolution paper for the Corona summit, which was made available to FOCUS Online.

Accordingly, an end to the lockdown should not be decided. “The resolutions of the Federal Chancellor and the heads of government remain valid,” says the resolution. The measures are to be extended “until March XXX”, so an end date for the measures is still pending.

Mask requirement, opening strategy, Corona bonus

These are the measures that are to be decided or extended tomorrow:

1.		Contact restrictions are generally retained (household plus one additional person).
2.		Medical mask compulsory (surgical and FFP2 masks) on local public transport and in retail.
3.		Hygiene concepts continue to apply and should be adapted “if necessary” against the background of virus mutations.
4.		Appeals to the population: Refrain from unnecessary travel and report all contact persons of infected people to the health authorities.
5.		Furthermore, home office or mask requirement at work.
6.		Heads of the state chancelleries should work out a “safe and fair” opening strategy, with priority on childcare and education.
7.		“Further local or regional measures” in the case of a permanent 7-day incidence of over 50.
8.		There will also be a Corona bonus for nursing staff in 2021.

Easing point deleted from the draft resolution

Point 6 in the decision paper is empty; “XXX” is written in the line. As Bild reports, there was a point in a previous version from Monday evening that has now been deleted without replacement. The first signs of easing were indicated. “Against this background, the federal and state governments decide the following conditioned openings: XXX,” it said.

The next summit date has not yet been set In addition, the federal government wants to continue to take the lead in vaccination, which is also evident from the decision. The federal government and states are also “still optimistic” that everyone could be offered a vaccination by the end of the summer. That would give “a perspective for the normalization of our everyday life.” According to the paper, a date for the next Corona summit has not yet been set.

The measures are, however, only a first draft resolution by the state leaders and the Federal Chancellery; on Wednesday the federal and state governments will discuss on the basis of this paper.

The proposed resolution does not contain a step-by-step plan

However, the draft resolution of the Chancellery for Merkel’s meeting with the country leaders does not contain a step-by-step plan for the opening steps in the event of a further decrease in the number of infections. The template simply says: “In order to give the citizens and companies planning perspectives, the federal and state governments are continuing to work on updating the safe and fair opening strategy so that our lives become more normal again.”

Lower Saxony’s Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD) also does not assume that there will be a nationwide step-by-step plan to relax the Corona after the federal-state consultations on Wednesday. In response to a corresponding question in an interview with ARD “Tagesthemen”, which was to be broadcast on Tuesday evening, Weil said: “No, not yet tomorrow, but we absolutely have to have this discussion with one another.” Many citizens would rightly ask how it should proceed now. “The answer will not be able to be given tomorrow, at least that’s my impression, but it will have to take place next time.”

“I think what is realistic is that we say together that the lockdown should continue until March 1,” said the SPD politician. “In a situation like this, where the numbers are really still too high, in my opinion that is also correct.”

Merkel against any Corona easing before March 1st

Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) has meanwhile spoken out against any opening steps in the current Corona lockdown until March 1. The time in which the British virus variant has not yet gained the upper hand is decisive in order to get the infection numbers down with all possible strength, said Merkel, according to information from the German Press Agency from several participants on Tuesday in an online meeting of the Union faction in the Bundestag.

For this reason, her view is that one should wait until March 1 for any opening steps, Merkel said. This is difficult for parents and other affected persons. You can then take opening steps “with a clearer conscience”. There are still differences about this, the Chancellor admitted before her consultations with the Prime Ministers of the federal states on Wednesday. Merkel said she expected the British variant of the virus to be the dominant one in Germany in just a few weeks.