Openings at this point in time would be a mistake

• Infection protection comes first
• Pandemic control in the triad of vaccination-testing-Luca
• Measures for the "summer of catching up" in preparation

At the weekly press conference, Lord Mayor Dr. Thomas Nitzsche and the Deputy Plant Manager of JenaKultur, Carsten Müller, presented the further strategy for combating the pandemic. Thomas Nitzsche clarified the currently growing calls for the opening of retail and catering outlets:

"Openings at the present time, as much as many are longing for them, would be a mistake. With a current incidence of over 140 and the number of infections continuing to rise rapidly, we are in the middle of the third wave of the pandemic. We are hearing calls for concrete timetables, but we are not embarking on the path of premature promises that will have to be withdrawn shortly afterwards due to the development of the pandemic. Jena is sticking to the principle that the health of the population, and therefore protection against infection, comes first."

Pandemic control under the triad: vaccinate - test - Luca.

• The current focus must continue to be on vaccination - this is not directly in the hands of the municipalities. However, positive effects can already be observed: Fewer senior citizens in Jena are affected by severe courses of Covid-19 disease.
• The city's rapid testing strategy, which was launched early on, is being pursued and expanded. Minimizing the risk of infection in educational institutions will also be a particularly important component after the Easter vacations.
• The widespread use of the Luca app in Jena as an important tool for contact tracing has already been in preparation for several weeks with participating retailers and event organizers and will be rolled out further.

Opening scenarios and measures for the "summer of catching up"

"The prerequisite for easing restrictions is low infection rates. Otherwise, it's not us controlling the pandemic, but the other way around,"

says Nitzsche. It is therefore not yet possible to implement model projects. Nevertheless, preparations are underway and work is already underway for day X. Talks are underway with stakeholders about various opening scenarios - for retail and gastronomy as well as for sport and culture. The framework conditions should be perfectly prepared for a "summer of catching up". This will preferably take place outdoors, and measures for spatial and temporal equalization are already being examined:

• Expansion of outdoor catering areas
• Shortening the closing times
• Easier shopping in the city center, also for people from the surrounding area

As a concrete building block, parts of the special usage fees have already been waived.

However, extended serving times also require understanding on the part of the population. Here, for example, a careful balance must be struck between nightlife and the need for peace and quiet, and support and mutual understanding must already be promoted. This is why it is all the more important to have a critical, but first and foremost a reliable partner in the Initiative Innenstadt.

Jena pushes ahead with digital solutions for contact tracing

Carsten Müller once again promoted the use of digital solutions, such as the Luca app, for contact tracing and the associated relief for health authorities:

"JenaKultur, as an organizer of major events and a close partner of cultural professionals, knows about the needs of the industry. We too are thirsty to open our venues, welcome people and offer culture and education. We are currently working on this on many levels. Responsibly and in the hope of being able to test opening scenarios in pilot projects as incidence figures continue to fall. Luca can play a central role in opening up our cultural and educational institutions. Together with partners at state and specialist level, we will look for further possibilities such as personalizable ticket systems and digital quick test certificates and will hopefully be able to evaluate them using the criteria of the Conference of Independent Data Protection Supervisory Authorities of the Federal and State Governments (DSK), which will hopefully be available soon."

Jena was the first city in Germany to commit to digital contact tracing with Luca back in October 2020 and supported the Luca team in its development. Furthermore, this app is an excellent solution to guarantee a fast transfer to the SORMAS database at the public health department.

Carsten Müller:

"Unfortunately, we have lost a lot of time in Thuringia, as well as nationwide, in the search for a way out of the paper trail. Although the Luca app has been available to the state data protection officer for review since December 2020, it is only now, four months later, that fundamental data protection issues relating to the app have been communicated. For many other digital solutions such as darfichrein or recover, there are currently no statements on their data protection compliance. Valuable time and a lot of trust have been and are being squandered here." This is also to the detriment of the sectors hardest hit by the crisis and the teams in the health authorities, who have to tackle the Herculean task of contact tracing on a daily basis. "There needs to be a clear and sensible balance between data protection and the practical need for a solution. A firefighter doesn't start a discussion about the DIN standard of the hose in front of a burning house. He has to put out the fire," says Müller.

The use of this app is still being promoted in Jena. "The Luca license is ready. Retailers, restaurateurs and event organizers can already prepare for openings, free of charge," says Carsten Müller. But of course, anyone is free to use another app for digital contact tracing. And according to the Thuringian State Data Protection Commissioner Lutz Hasse, there will also have to continue to be notes - even if, in Carsten Müller's view, this is even less compliant with data protection regulations than an elaborately encrypted digital solution. In terms of accessibility, this remains a possible way to store your data.

Jena has good prerequisites

Mayor Nitzsche sums up the situation:

"Looking at the rising infection figures worries me greatly. We spoke of a new epidemic early on - now it is a reality. Nevertheless, we believe we are well prepared. Thanks to many individual decisions, we in Thuringia have been leading the way in infection control. The rapid test strategy is just the most recent example. I am therefore optimistic that we will find a safe way out of this difficult time through good preparation and trust in our Jena community."