Press

Here you will find all the important facts about the RESTART-19 study, whether press releases or statements by those involved.

Downloads

  • Results Restart 19
  • Press release 17.07.2020
  • Experiment Update

Statements

Tim Bendzko

Tim Bendzko supported the research project RESTART-19 by performing live in the Quarterback Real Estate Arena. This ensured research under the most realistic conditions possible.

Hi folks, this is Tim Bendzko. I’m very happy to be part of the RESTART-19 study and to contribute to finding out how live entertainment and sporting events can finally be held safely again in front of large audiences. If you can’t wait to see live concerts again, you can also participate and support us as a test person in the study. You can find all the information at www.restart19.de. I really hope to see and hear you on August 22nd in Leipzig at the Quarterback Real Estate Arena. Until then, stay healthy and see you hopefully soon!

Prof. Dr. Michael Gekle

Prof. Dr. Michael Gekle is Dean of the Medical Faculty at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and played a key role in supervising the research project.

You have a situation where we have quite a lot of opinion with hysteria. But there is also another situation where we have evidence with sovereignty. And where we need to get to is, of course, to this second situation. And if they need evidence now to make decisions in the political space – for example, do you allow a handball game with 4000 spectators? – then they need someone to create the evidence. And that is science – university medicine.

Petra Köpping

Petra Köpping is the State Minister for Social Affairs and Social Cohesion of the Free State of Saxony.

First of all, we have had very good experiences in the past in cooperation with Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, especially here in Central Germany. That’s why I’m pleased that we’re forging ahead together with Saxony-Anhalt in terms of a study. We get a lot of questions from citizens: “When can we go to events again?” – but also precisely from those who make a living from it. That means it’s a very important study that we’re doing now so that we can make decisions in the future that on the one hand protect health, but on the other hand also make things possible again economically.

Prof. Dr. Armin Willingmann

Prof. Dr. Armin Willingmann is Chairman of the Supervisory Board and Saxony-Anhalt’s Minister of Economics, Science and Digitalization.

Cooperation across national borders is not something we take for granted, although we are now familiar with it in science. Here in this case, however, it is particularly favorable that it is the two bordering federal states of Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. We are trying to follow a very similar course in easing and also to take very similar measures. We know in particular from people in the border area who are always wondering why different regulations apply on one side and the other. This project is also of paramount importance to policymakers: we need to legitimize our decisions. At the moment, we are justifying this on the grounds of health protection and are helping the companies with bridging aid. But that can’t be a permanent situation. That’s why we need this study. We need the results of this study. It is essential for decision-making in politics. And I am glad that it is being carried out.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Moesta

Prof. Dr. Thomas Moesta is Medical Director of the University Hospital Halle (Saale).

I am very pleased that this project is supported by the University Medical Center Halle (Saale). You know that in the past, in the last five months, we have actually experienced and also achieved incomparable things in order to make our contribution to “immediate health care of general interest” – that’s what you call it. Now there is a bit of a feeling that Corona is actually almost over or the worst is over. But in fact, we’re going to be dealing with this virus, and perhaps others, for a long time to come. And we’re seeing that it’s hitting one area of our society in particular quite hard: that’s cultural, arts and sporting events on a medium to large scale. I believe that these events also play a very important role in social cohesion. That’s why we at the University Medical Center see it as our task to make such events possible again.