Daily Host Nation Stories for May 11, 2020

Daily Host Nation Stories for May 11, 2020

Germany: So far more than 170,000 infected
The total number of coronavirus infections recorded to date in Germany has risen to
more than 170,000: By Monday afternoon, a total of 170,060 infections had been
reported from the federal states. There are currently 20,333 people who are infected.
The number of deaths is 7459, but the number of cases is expected to continue to
rise until the evening; so far, only six states have presented new data. Due to
"technical problems", the authorities in Baden-Wuerttemberg could not submit
Sunday's figures until Monday afternoon. (NTV, May 11)

Easing of Corona measures
After the discussions between Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Minister Presidents
of the 16 federal states on Wednesday, it is clear that the federal government is
largely handing over the responsibility for compliance with and possibly also
intensification of the anti-corona measures to the states. Although a few general
rules such as the obligation to wear a mask and the distance requirement of 1.5
meters still apply, the detailed regulations, for example in the areas of gastronomy,
entertainment and education, are the responsibility of the state governors.
General rules- The distance requirement of 1.5 metres still applies throughout
Germany. The contact restrictions will be extended until 5 June - but also relaxed
somewhat. In future, members of two households will be able to meet each other.
There will also continue to be conditions for workplaces. Companies are required to
develop hygiene concepts for their employees. In addition, telework should be given
wherever this can be implemented. In the retail sector, shops should be allowed to
reopen regardless of their size. The limitation of the sales area to 800 square meters
will no longer apply; instead, a maximum number of customers per shop area will be
defined. Emergency care at daycare centers is to be expanded everywhere from
May 11 onwards. Every student and every pre-school child should return to school at
least once before the summer holidays. In the nursing homes and hospitals the
visiting rules will be made more flexible. In future, every patient or resident should be
able to receive visits from at least one specific person again. Training in popular and
outdoor recreational sports will again be permitted, but only if certain conditions are
met (distance rules, etc). Changing rooms and clubhouses will generally remain
closed.
Baden-Wuerttemberg- Starting from May 18, outdoor gastronomy should be
available again. Restaurants could reopen their indoor areas from May 25 onwards,
hotels and theme parks starting as of May 30. From Monday onwards, "contactless
outdoor sports" such as golf, athletics and tennis will be permitted. Some excursion
destinations will open on May 11, while amusement parks, hotels and camping sites

may reopen on Whitsun holiday. Swimming pools will also open on Whitsun - but
only in connection with swimming lessons. At the moment, schools are only open for
the students of the final classes, on May 18th the fourth classes will follow, and from
June 15th on it will start again for all children. (Stern, May 11)

Merkel criticizes careless behavior of citizens
Chancellor Angela Merkel has again urged caution in dealing with the pandemic,
also in view of the demonstrations against conditions in the Corona crisis. She had
been told that many people had gone shopping at the weekend without protective
masks, Merkel said according to information from the Deutsche Presse-Agentur
(German Press Agency) from circles of participants in a video broadcast by the CDU
presidium. In part, this behavior was even considered a proof of bravery, the
Chancellor criticized. The commandment, however, was still to follow the current
rules of distance. Merkel went on to say that only in two to three weeks will it be
known how the relaxation of the corona restrictions decided on last week will affect
the number of infections. She also announced that she would again comment on the
government survey on Wednesday in the Bundestag on the measures relevant to the
federal government for classifying the pandemic. (Focus, May 11)

Survey: Numerous industries plan workforce redundancies
The corona crisis is increasingly affecting the work market: According to a survey
published by the LFO Institute in Munich, companies in numerous sectors are
planning to lay off employees or not extend fixed-term contracts. According to the
survey, 58 percent of businesses in the restaurant and catering industry, 50 percent
of hotels and 43 percent of travel agencies decided this in April. In the automotive
industry, 39 percent of the companies announced this action as well. There are also
regional differences: a particularly large number of companies in Baden-
Württemberg are cutting jobs, with 22 percent of companies in this sector, according
to LFO, and 20 percent of companies in Bavaria. (NTV, May 11)

The infection rate is rising—so what now?
For weeks, a glance at the reproduction rate is reassuring: the number is shrinking.
However, for a few days now, the number has been rising again, and now stands at
1.13. What you can tell from the infection rate - as well as other information. The
infection rate is one of the most important indicators in the corona pandemic. For the
first time in weeks, the reproduction rate R in Germany now exceeds its critical value
of 1.0. The figure indicates how many more people an infected person infects on
average. According to the Robert Koch Institute, the value was 1.13 on May 10th at
0:00 a.m. The day before it was 1.10. The RKI has repeatedly emphasized that in
order for the epidemic to abate, the reproduction number must be below 1.

According to RKI data, the value was between 0.7 and 0.8 for several days at the
beginning of May, and on Wednesday the RKI still quoted the value at 0.65 (data
status May), since then the index had risen continuously. Reading and interpreting
this development, however, is anything but simple. First of all, it is important to know
that the statement that one infected person infects an average of 1.10 other people
does not reflect the current situation. For methodological reasons, the figure refers to
infections that occurred some time ago. Possible effects in the course of infection,
which can be attributed to the relaxation of restrictions decided on Wednesday by
the federal and state governments, cannot therefore be deduced from it. In addition,
the RKI emphasizes in a statement on the increased reproduction rate that the R-
value is always subject to a certain degree of uncertainty. Due to the statistical
fluctuations, which are intensified by the overall lower figures, it could not yet be
assessed whether the trend of new infections, which has been declining over the last
few weeks, will continue - or whether the number of cases will increase again.
"The increase in the estimated R-value makes it necessary to monitor the
development very closely over the next few days," writes the RKI. The RKI writes on
its website that the reproduction rate alone cannot be used as a "measure of
effectiveness/necessity of measures". The absolute number of new infections per
day and the severity of the diseases are also important. The absolute number of new
infections must be small enough to allow effective tracking of contact persons and
not to overload the capacities of intensive care beds. According to an RKI overview,
the number of reported new infections per day has been declining with fluctuations
since the beginning of April.
Dirk Brockmann, expert for modelling infectious diseases at the Humboldt University
in Berlin, also emphasises that the R-value is only a rough estimate and depends on
many factors. Nevertheless, a hypothesis can be derived from the increase from
0.65 to 1.10. Brockmann assumes that this reflects the fact that people have slowly
returned to normality even before the easing measures decided on Wednesday.
People are meeting up again a little more and are generally more on the move. This
would lead to more infections, according to the thesis. In general, the development of
the infection must be observed over a longer period of time. On the whole, the R-
value still varies around 1, said Brockmann. (Robert Koch Institute, May 11)

Increasing numbers of cyclists in Stuttgart, new daily record on the König-
Karls-Brücke
More and more people are riding their bicycles in Stuttgart, among other things the
counting column on the König-Karls-Brücke on26. April a daily record was set with
more than 7,500 people passing by. The state capital Stuttgart pointed this out on
Monday, May 11. In the morning, the State Ministry of Transport had described
bicycles as "one of the central elements of mobility of the future" and announced a
considerable "expansion of the funding volume".
Since the beginning of the corona restrictions, the number of cyclists on weekends
has practically doubled. Over the Easter holidays, more and more people from

Stuttgart have made trips to the nearest surroundings. This was also made possible
by an extremely dry and warm April, which set records itself with more than 300
hours of sunshine.
Stuttgart has already initiated a number of measures to facilitate the switch to the
bicycle during corona times:
      Sunday closure of Hofener Strasse for motor traffic was brought forward by
       three weeks;
      Free rental at RegioRad stations was extended to one hour; maps of Stuttgart
       can be downloaded free of charge with the Bike Citizens App;
      Temporary cycle paths were recently decided for Theodor-Heuß-Strasse and
       Holzgartenstrasse
Even without corona influences, bicycle traffic in Stuttgart is increasing steadily. This
is shown by the figures of the last five years at the permanent counting stations: The
average increase per year in Böblinger Strasse is 9.3 percent and in König-Karls-
Brücke 6.8 percent. The share of cyclists in the traffic volume in 2017 was 8 percent.
In 2013 it was still 5 percent. In 2019, the state capital has set itself the goal of
becoming a bicycle city and increasing the proportion of cyclists to 25 percent. To
this end, around 20 euros per inhabitant will be invested in the expansion of the
cycle paths and parking facilities, and this amount is set to rise to 40 euros per
resident.
The city implemented the first projects of the bicycle offensive in 2019. For example,
700 new bike bars were installed, 14 "RegioRad stations" were opened and 15
measures were implemented on the main cycle routes. In total, over 40 projects and
individual measures were initiated. In the next few years, around 80 projects and
plans are to be added, such as cycle routes, expressways and other collective
garages at the main railway station and in residential areas.
In order to make cycling in Stuttgart even more attractive, the state capital is being
supported by the state. As a RadKULTUR Kommune, the citizens should become
enthusiastic about cycling with a varied programme. The STADTRADELN campaign
is also intended to facilitate the changeover to the bicycle and to promote the change
in mobility culture in Stuttgart. (City of Stuttgart, May 11)

Hiking in Schönbuch calms the nerves, offers beautiful views
An estimated four million visitors walk, cycle or jog through the Schönbuch every
year anyway. This year the number is likely to increase dramatically. "It is really
noticeable that there are a lot more people in the forest at the moment," says
Mathias Allgäuer, managing director of the nature park. As a local recreation area in
the middle of the Stuttgart, Böblingen and Tübingen conurbations, it serves as a
refuge during the corona crisis. This is where the new hiking guide by Schönbuch
expert Roland Bengel comes at the right time. A more compact information package
will soon be available from the nature park administration when the updated map
with all hiking and cycling trails is published.

According to Mathias Allgäuer, the stay in Schönbuch alone is already beneficial. "In
the forest you get into a better mood," he thinks. Scientific studies have shown that
trees emit terpenes, and these hormones cause the killer cells in the human blood to
increase, which strengthens the immune system. "You feel safe and secure in the
forest," explains the nature park director. The green, the high oxygen content and the
birdsong soothe the nerves—a good antidote to the corona pandemic, in which
people are often at home and probably stare at their cell phones all day long.
The events of the nature park have been cancelled as everywhere else. Now in
spring there would be a lot on offer, "but it's not possible to lead 20 people through
the forest," explains the managing director. As soon as the situation relaxes, the
calendar will be refocused. In addition, the new Schönbuch map will appear in just
under three weeks - to match the new visitor guidance system that has been
installed in the area since last year. Around 1000 new signs will mark the paths for
walkers and cyclists. Its predecessor was the best-selling map of the State
Surveying Office, reports Mathias Allgäuer.
The fact that Schönbuch, at 15,000 hectares one of the largest closed forest areas in
Baden-Württemberg, is meeting with great interest is also evident on the book
market. Last summer, Dieter Buck published his latest work, "Im Naturpark
Schönbuch" (In the Schönbuch Nature Park), with 36 routes for the most diverse
requirements. "Schönbuch - 101 Highlights" is the title of the book by Roland Bengel,
who has already published two photo volumes about the forest. He has categorised
his tips - according to history, views, buildings such as castles or huts, trees, water
or animals as destinations. "The big visitor magnets such as the Royal Hunting
Lodge, the Great Goldersbach Valley or Lake Birch are taken as much into focus as
unknown or forgotten places," he explains his concept. An insider tip for him is the
hunter's trail near Gärtringen-Rohrau or a ride with camels into the forest, which is
unfortunately not possible at the moment. (Stuttgarter Nachrichten, May 10)

Outdoor swimming pools still closed, swimmers escape to lakes
The ban on staying in the area has been lifted. Lake Plüderhausen (Rems-Murr
district), which was closed for several weeks due to the corona crisis, is now freely
accessible again. The lake at the Rems valley is popular with excursionists. The
long-distance and cold-water swimmer Bruno Dobelmann from Stuttgart went to his
favourite lake on the morning of the reopening day and did a few laps.Blue sky,
bright sunshine, Dobelmann had the lake - water temperature a good 16 degrees -
almost all to himself at this early hour on a working day. "I have the love of my life
back," Dobelmann explained as he got out of the water after a good hour. And he
was so deligted. On Saturday he would come back and then swim a "longer unit",
ten or even 15 kilometers. The water of the lake should have around 20 degrees on
Sunday. Andreas Schaffer, Mayor of Plüderhausen, explains that the lake was
closed due to the police’s advice, as it was not possible to check that all visitors kept
the ordained distances. In the meantime, however, people had become accustomed
to the new manners, Schaffer said. Swimmers from all over Stuttgart had repeatedly
asked when the lake would be opened again. Schaffer expects the lake water to

warm up to about 20 degrees by Sunday. Then many guests should come out to the
lake again He is confident that people will stick to the so-called social distancing.
They will monitor the lake selectively, but "we will not walk around with a yardstick".
There are a few lakes nearby, such as the “Aichstrutsee,” idyllically situated on the
outskirts of Welzheim, Ebnisee near Kaisersbach is also freely accessible, as well as
the recreational area Fornsbacher Waldsee near Murrhardt. However, Bürgerseen in
Kircheim remains closed and bathing will remain prohibited until further notice.
All public indoor, outdoor, thermal and fun pools in the country are currently closed.
According to the ministry spokesman, a “public pools working group” is working on a
concept for a possible opening of the pools during summer. (Stuttgarter Nachrichten,
May 11)

Dangerous transportation of viruses: China wants new regulations
China wants to reinforce the regulations for laboratories when handling and
transporting viruses. According to a draft of the new rules by the National Health
Commission, provincial governments are to prevent the transport of samples of the
novel coronavirus without a permit. In addition, the central health authorities are to
be informed in detail when such samples are sent from one laboratory to another.
(NTV, May 11)

Two people seriously injured – dog dies
Two people were injured in a collision on Autobahn 8 near Leonberg (Böblingen
district) - one of them critically. A 27-year-old man drove his car into the truck of a
50-year-old man driving towards Karlsruhe on Sunday evening at about 10 pm for
reasons as yet unknown, according to police.
The collision caused him to be thrown into the middle lane, where he collided with
the car of a 51-year-old. The woman was seriously injured, the man critically. A dog
in the man's car died in the accident.
The accident created a large debris field on the roadway. The A8 was closed for
several hours in the direction of Karlsruhe for the clean-up work. The damage to
property is estimated at approximately 13,000 euros. (Stuttgarter Nachrichten, May
11)