DARING FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY ANEW

The Saxon Association of Towns and Municipalities supports the position of the municipal umbrella organisations at federal level and is calling for a reorientation of the pandemic strategy. A "continued as before" does not work and we run the risk of losing even more acceptance among the population. We need more courage to break new ground, more trust in people and a real reduction in bureaucracy.

1. The experiences of recent months have bitterly demonstrated that a scientifically determined desire for all rules does not work and, above all, does not do justice to the diverse conditions on the ground. This erodes local trust, but we will not be successful without it.
2. The shortage cannot be managed centrally; instead, local players must be given predictable freedom to find their own solutions. Best practice needs local creativity.
3. The state is limiting itself to the mandatory framework for combating the pandemic - as many clear regulations as necessary and as simple as possible.
4. The rigid alignment of measures to the incidence value will be replaced by a new threshold value that takes into account not only the incidence, but also the utilisation of hospital capacities, the age group-specific infection rate, the vaccination rate and the mortality rate. This must be presented in a simplified form for the population (traffic light).
5. Vaccination should primarily be carried out by GPs, supplemented by company doctors and hospitals. The expertise built up over the years and the trusting doctor-patient relationship are the basis for new trust.
6. The cities and municipalities are involved in the nationwide development of a testing infrastructure based on self-testing. These self-tests must be carried out under supervision or be controllable in some other way. This is the basis for the responsible gradual reopening of retail, hotel and catering establishments, cultural, sports and leisure facilities. Testing and opening are carried out in unison under local responsibility.
7. The facilities ensure compliance with hygiene rules and contact tracing. They also participate in the provision and implementation of self-tests.
8. Day-care centres and schools are generally kept open. A binding testing and hygiene concept ensures this. In addition, all employees at daycare centres and schools are offered vaccinations. The temporary closure of a centre can only be the last resort.

Bert Wendsche
President and Chairman of the Meißen District Association

In agreement with the district association chairmen of the SSG:
signed. Heiko Driesnack, District Association Bautzen
signed. Alexander Troll, District Association Erzgebirgskreis
signed Roland Höhne, Görlitz district association
signed Matthias Berger, Leipzig District Association
signed Ronny Hofmann, Central Saxony District Association
signed Lothar Schneider, North Saxony District Association
signed Frank Schöning, District Association of Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains
signed Thomas Hennig, District Association Vogtlandkreis
signed. Daniel Röthig, Zwickau district association