Berlin Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) has campaigned for general vaccination requirements with the hope of an end to the pandemic. “In the long term, we will only be able to end the pandemic in Germany if the vast majority of people are vaccinated in such a way that severe courses are not expected, even with new variants of the coronavirus,” Lauterbach said in the Bundestag on Thursday.
“Therefore, for me the safest and fastest way out of the pandemic is the introduction of a general compulsory vaccination in Germany.” It is medically and morally justifiable. There is an opportunity to end the pandemic with a combination of vaccination and Covid drugs. “We should take this opportunity,” said Lauterbach. “In doing so, we not only end the sacrifices made by the many conscientious people, but also those of our children. We end avoidable suffering and a state of siege for the virus. “
Unvaccinated people in particular could be particularly at risk from the “swelling omicron wave,” said Lauterbach, with a view to the rapidly increasing number of infections. The booster vaccination in particular would offer protection. “Anyone who wants a booster vaccination is available,” he said. It is possible that the “Omikron wall” will become a “steep hill” like in other countries in Germany.
The Bundestag also wants to decide on the new quarantine rules this Thursday, and the Bundesrat will deal with it on Friday. The new regulations could come into force on Saturday. However, the federal states ultimately implemented them. Lauterbach said on Wednesday: “Those who have been boosted no longer have to be in quarantine as a contact person in the event of an infection.” This also applies to the Omikron variant of the corona virus. Booster vaccinations made double sense. “It makes everyday life easier. And it protects against infection or serious illness, ”said the SPD politician.
The new rules at a glance:
- According to a draft by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), quarantine (contact persons) and isolation (infected) based on a “seven-day rule”: You can end after seven days, if those affected “test themselves” with a PCR or rapid test. Without a test, they should take ten days in the future.
- The regulations should apply regardless of the form of the virus. So far, quarantine and isolation have been possibleG vary depending on the virus variant, vaccination and recovery status and apply for up to 14 days. When it comes to omicrons, for example, there are no exceptions for those who have been vaccinated.
- For employees in clinics, care facilities and facilities for people with disabilities, the isolation should also last seven days – but at the end it is mandatory to be confirmed with a more precise negative PCR laboratory test. In addition, you have to be without symptoms for 48 hours beforehand.
- For children in schools and daycare centers, the quarantine as a contact person should last five days, with a final PCR or rapid test.
The federal and state governments agreed on the new rules at their Corona summit last week. When the number of infections is high, they are intended to prevent staff shortages, especially in critical facilities.
The highly contagious Omikron variant is driving the number of infections in Germany from record to record. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported 81,417 new cases on Thursday, more than ever before.
Top jobs of the day
Find the best jobs now and
be notified by email.
The number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants per week rose to 427.7 the day before it was 407.5. In many places the value is already approaching the 1000 mark. The virus is spreading rapidly, especially in large cities such as Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen.
The new quarantine rules are fueling concerns that the shortage of tests and the situation in the already busy laboratories could worsen. Michael Müller, Chairman of the Association of Medical Laboratories, told the “Rheinische Post”: “The fact that you can soon be freed from quarantine will inevitably lead to additional work for the laboratories.”
The laboratories would now have to face the onslaught largely unprepared. So far there has been no forecast of how many more tests the laboratories will have to prepare for.
Breuer: Critical infrastructure has priority in tests
The head of the German government’s Corona crisis team, Major General Carsten Breuer, told the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”: “As with all scarce resources, we will certainly have to bundle capacities where necessary. This also applies to tests. ”
As soon as it gets tight somewhere, priority must be given. “Employees in the critical infrastructure have priority,” he said. The goal, however, is to maintain the previous test regime for as long as possible. “We need the most accurate data possible to see how the wave affects us,” said Breuer.
The situation is particularly clear in the hotspots with many infections, such as Berlin, where the seven-day incidence on Thursday morning was 918.6.
Health Senator Ulrike Gote has already observed a shortage of PCR tests at the state-owned test centers in Berlin. There are already long waiting times, and in some places the capacities are insufficient.
More: Daycare closed or missed lessons: Do I continue to receive wages if I have to stay at home for childcare?