My name is Manfred Klemann, I am a publisher, I live in Stein am Rhein and, among other things, I am a minority shareholder in persönlich Verlags AG, which, as you know, belongs to my friend Matthias Ackeret. Since I also hold 20 percent of the shares in the successful Swiss film company C-Films, I was at the Berlinale in Berlin at the end israel rcs data of February. And of course, at a festival like this you come together with people from all over the world (although I was very cautious even then). Back then, exactly 30 days ago now, only people from Asia were actually required to keep their distance when meeting people. And I know down to the second that it hit me like a bolt of lightning when I read on Saturday morning, February 22nd, that the first two people in Italy had died of the virus.
Why did it frighten me, even "panic" me? Because I (63), but especially my partner, are among the people at absolute risk due to previous illnesses... "Fear eats away at the soul," as my colleague Rainer Werner Fassbinder called a film. to my beautiful apartment in Stein early on Monday, February 24, it was clear to me: I must not endanger my girlfriend (who lives in Konstanz/Germany) or my family under any circumstances. So I imposed voluntary quarantine on myself. At the same time, I thought I could only endure this for a week at most.