Corona outbreak in Bavaria: Threatens Söder, a Tönnies-Moment?

On the weekend has become known that a large agricultural operation in lower Bavaria, a massive Corona has to cope with outbreak. First of all, seven persons were tested positive, apparently, after they had shown symptoms. A series of testing revealed that at least 174 of those from Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and the Ukraine coming harvest workers are infected. On the farm they were used in the cucumber harvest.

Timo Frasch

Political correspondent in Munich.

The affected operating in the 3340, a resident of the municipality of Palazzo mamming count in the district of Dingolfing-Landau has been provided by the circle under quarantine, none of the 480 employees currently leave the with a fence bearing harbored and security-guarded grounds. The fruit and vegetable farm will have to be according to information from the district office to massive crop failures set, as replacement forces are not likely to so quickly.

At the Moment, the state government assumes that it is done to an insulating and, therefore, manageable Infection. Some speak "in the Moment", said the Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) on Monday at a press conference. If this is confirmed, stay "of the Lockdown on the operating limited". Should have the Virus already spread, it is necessary to discuss further steps.

Opposition: Why is nothing happening?

Thus, nothing is said about the extent to which the political effects of isolate. It could be Palazzo mamming for Söder to the image problem, as it is the size, of course bigger case of the slaughterhouse Tönnies for the North Rhine-Westphalian Prime Minister Armin Laschet (CDU) was? Söder said somewhat evasively: "You can never compare cases." You can't prevent "Corona complete". If it were to occur, it is the most Important thing is to act, as it were, "within hours". The took Söder and the actors in the free state. In the vicinity of the Gemüsehofs there is already a test station, in the Mamminger citizens examine can.

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the Opposition in Bayern test had already arrived on Sunday to criticism. The parliamentary Manager of the country tags-Green, Jürgen Mistol, referred to his parliamentary question on the "accommodation of seasonal workers in the Corona times." From the response of the Ministry of labour, the state government, there is no data on how many foreign harvest workers are currently employed in the free state. Many of them were only in the short term, in the respective companies. Monitoring was not required in the rest of the "law". There were also no findings, how many of them are housed in community accommodation; here there is "no obligation".

the same if you have not answered the question of how often the community accommodation for Seasonal workers since the beginning of the Corona could have been controlled pandemic. Mistol concluded: "The hygienic conditions in the accommodation of seasonal workers in Collective centres are the black-and-orange government in Corona-the times of plenty don't care." Florian von Brunn, a consumer-protection expert of the SPD, said: "We have demanded after the Corona onset in the Wiesenhof slaughterhouse in the middle of may already, a special control program for farms with harvest helpers." Happened, obviously, nothing.

The fear of the "Mini-Ischgl"

Söder went to the Monday immediately into the forward defense. It had been at the vegetable farm of course a hygiene concept. This was controlled according to the information of the chief administrative officer on compliance. Nevertheless, had been violated "obvious" about it. According to present knowledge, have not kept all the harvest workers on the Contact of the groups of 25 persons. The hygiene concept was that the workers vehicles on special Crop "cucumber flyer" called and pick should. Always the same people, always in the same order. But who will meet in the evening with whom, was to control for the authorities is difficult, said health Minister Melanie Huml (CSU) on Monday. Markus Drexler, Chairman of the Bavarian farmers ' Association, pointed out that the disregard of sanitary measures through an operation could bring the entire industry into disrepute and also in economic difficulties.

Söder announced stricter measures. All the farms are in future to be in shorter intervals a controlled manner. For the controls mixed Teams" of health should "and inspectorates, as well as the agriculture management Industry will be responsible. The controls are different than in the past to be registered beforehand in no case more, and "day and night" will be possible. All of the seasonal workers in Bavaria are to be in the way of the arrangement of mandatory "tested". In addition, the penalty framework for the operation of lines is to be increased from 5,000 to 25,000 Euro.