VoltBefore the summer vacation, many parents worried about whether the school was prepared for the delta variant of the coronavirus after the vacation. The state subsidies used by the city government of Hessen to “fight the epidemic” of daycare centers and schools have not yet been used up. On Monday, Education Minister Alexander Lotz and Finance Minister Michael Bodenberg (both CDU) pointed this out. They emphasize that there is still money to buy air filters. This topic has caused controversy in various cities. In some places, development associations have purchased such systems.
According to its own statement, last fall, the state government provided a total of 75 million euros in related assistance. Municipalities and independent organizations that use them must raise the extra quarter themselves. A total of nearly 60 million has been invested in the safe operation of schools and daycare centers.
Among them, more than 9 million euros are used for mobile air purification equipment in rooms that cannot be ventilated. Approximately 2 million euros are used for the installation of supply and exhaust systems as well as permanently installed indoor air systems. Together with municipal donations, state funds support further measures totalling 40 million euros. Therefore, the implementation and billing deadline will be extended to the end of August.
Funds are limited to rooms for children under 12 years old
The municipality decides which priorities to set and which investments are necessary. For example, funds are being provided for the purchase of mobile air purification systems for classrooms and daycare centers that cannot or cannot perform periodic intermittent or cross-ventilation. It is also possible to take smaller structural measures on doors and windows. Lorz said that for the mobile air filtration system, the Federal Environment Agency and a number of scientists convened by the Minister of Education in September last year made technical recommendations. Accordingly, in the case where the room can be ventilated through the windows, such equipment is usually not required. However, it is also useful to use these mobile systems if windows cannot be opened properly, for example.
9pm on weekdays
However, only tested equipment equipped with high-performance particulate filters can be used. They must work quietly and ensure sufficient volume flow. If the survey initiated by the municipal umbrella organization now shows further demand, Lotz and Bodenberg expressed their “willingness to talk.” They recalled that sponsors of schools and daycare centers could apply to the federal government for funding to install permanently installed air-conditioning systems. Funds are limited to rooms and facilities that can accommodate children under 12 years of age, as the corona vaccine for this age group has not yet been approved.
Frankfurt and Offenbach have the highest incidence
At present, the risk of contracting the coronavirus across Hesse seems to be quite low. For the entire state of Hessen, the incidence rate on Monday was 7.8, which means that for every 100,000 residents, fewer than 8 people are infected in a week. Nevertheless, there are two outliers in the incidence data: Frankfurt and Offenbach. Although Frankfurt’s weekend incidence rate ranked second among all German cities and regions, Offenbach rose to this place on Monday. However, the starting level is low: The Robert Koch Institute calculated Monday’s incidence in Frankfurt to 18.6. This means that an estimated 142 people in Frankfurt have been newly infected in the past week.
Offenbach is also concerned about the increase in the incidence of 22.3. The health department cannot say whether this number is due to the spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus. Since delta variants are not always tested, but only randomly, it is currently impossible to determine which variant is the driving factor. In addition, the increase is not due to a furnace, such as a major event. In contrast, the new cases registered on Sunday (there are now 29) spread widely. A delta variant was recently discovered in it. Currently, Offenbach’s joint European Football Championship TV station is under suspicion.
