Schwerin (dpa/mv) - Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is sticking to the obligation to isolate in the event of corona infections and is preparing for further state aid to ensure continued wage payments. The state parliament in Schwerin decided on Wednesday with a large majority to provide a further 36.4 million euros from the Corona Protection Fund. The money is to be used to compensate companies whose employees were unable to come to work due to a corona infection or had to look after children due to corona.
According to Health Minister Stefanie Drese (SPD), almost 75,000 applications for state wage replacement have been made by companies in the state since the outbreak of the pandemic. About half of them have so far been processed by the State Office for Health and Social Affairs in Rostock. "The right to compensation for loss of earnings due to Corona is still an important measure to encourage employees infected with the virus to isolate themselves and thus avoid infection," said Drese. However, other federal states have already lifted the obligation to isolate.
Another 76,000 euros from the protection fund are to be used to finance the state’s corona hotline. The contract with the private operator should be extended beyond the end of the year until the end of April, said Drese. The hotline provides information about the currently applicable regulations.
In response to the corona pandemic, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania provided a total of 2.8 billion euros in an MV protection fund. This is used to finance grants and loans for companies, aid for municipalities, culture and clubs, but also state investment projects. The size of the fund and the broad use of the funds are controversial.
