The planned innovations go back to a draft by Federal Minister of Health Lauterbach and Federal Minister of Justice Buschmann at the beginning of August.
(Photo: IMAGO/Political Moments)
Berlin The federal cabinet approved stricter corona protection requirements with new mask requirements in Germany on Wednesday. To protect against an autumn wave of corona, it should again be possible for the federal states from October to impose a mask requirement in shops, for example.
FFP2 masks are to be prescribed nationwide on long-distance trains and airplanes. There should also be a mask and test requirement in hospitals and care facilities.
The planned innovations go back to a draft by Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) and Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann (FDP) at the beginning of August. The cabinet decision is now followed by parliamentary deliberations.
The new corona measures should apply from October 1st to April 7th. The previous corona provisions in the Infection Protection Act expire before then. The legislative process for the new rules must be completed by then.
Top jobs of the day
Find the best jobs now and
be notified by email.
A change to the original draft refers to exceptions to the obligation to wear masks, for example in restaurants, which the countries should be able to impose in the future. Exceptions for newly vaccinated and recovered were initially planned as mandatory. Now the exemptions for those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered are to be converted into an optional regulation for the federal states.
Corona plans for the fall
A mandatory exception to the mask requirement should therefore only exist if the person has just been tested. Many federal states had criticized the planned exceptions. On the other hand, one demand from the federal states was not included – namely the need for clear criteria as to when a second, stricter standard level applies to the corona measures.
changes in detail
The federal states can impose this second level if legally regulated indicators show that there is a risk to the health system. Then the federal states can prescribe FFP2 masks for restaurants and publicly accessible interiors without exceptions, distance requirements, mandatory hygiene concepts and upper limits for persons at events.
>> Read here: “Wearing masks indoors should be the rule” – Lauterbach specifies the Corona autumn plan
In the future, nursing homes will also have to appoint officers who will take care of vaccinations, hygiene and therapies for those infected with the drug Paxlovid, for example. A special payment of 1000 euros is to be made available every month for this purpose. The facilities are to receive 250 euros per month for the effort – for employees who take on the tasks alone or in a team, there should be a total of 750 euros.
“With this set of tools, we can cope with the foreseeable corona wave in the fall,” said Lauterbach. “We are well prepared for difficult times and give the countries every opportunity to react appropriately.”
>> Read here: “Inconsistencies in Corona policy”: Government flight without mask requirement triggers debate
Mask requirements, vaccinations and upper limits in the interior could be adapted to the situation. “The goals of our corona policy remain to avoid high death tolls, many lost working days and serious long-term consequences. “
There are already discussions in the coalition about the obligation to wear masks on airplanes. The background is the trip to Canada by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens). Images from on board the government plane on the outward flight had caused a stir.
Debate about compulsory masks
It showed Habeck and journalists sitting close together without masks. According to a government spokesman, there is no obligation to wear a mask on Air Force flights. All participants of the trip must present a current negative PCR test before departure. In general, according to the existing Infection Protection Act, masks are compulsory for aircraft.
The fact that the Federal Minister of Economics did not wear a mask on the plane caused a stir.
(Photo: dpa)
The Chancellor also said with a view to the cabinet meeting on the Infection Protection Act: He was happy about the very intensive and very timely preparation of the necessary legislation so that the right decisions could be made in the autumn.
The FDP now wants to negotiate relaxation of the protection rules for aircraft. Group leader Christian Dürr made that clear in “Spiegel”. Against the background of the Air Force flight, he asked: “Shouldn’t there also be test exceptions on commercial flights, for example? And what about European uniformity?”
The new Corona rules from autumn
– Masks are compulsory in air and long-distance public transport
– Masks are compulsory in hospitals and care facilities
–> Exceptions: If the mask prevents treatment or other medical reasons and in personal premises. Also for children under 6 years.
– Obligation to provide evidence of testing in hospitals and care facilities
–> Exceptions: For newly vaccinated and recovered people, as well as for residents and patients
– Masks are compulsory in local public transport
– Mask requirement in publicly accessible interiors
–> Exceptions with 3G proof: At leisure, cultural or sporting events, in leisure and cultural facilities as well as in gastronomic facilities and when practicing sports
– Compulsory tests in community facilities such as day-care centers, children’s homes or detention facilities
– Mask requirement in schools
–> Requirement: Only for children from the fifth school year and employees if this is necessary to maintain face-to-face classes
– Ordering a minimum distance of 1.5 m in public spaces
– Mandatory hygiene concepts for companies, facilities and events
– Fixed maximum number of people for events in publicly accessible indoor areas
Justice Minister Buschmann said with regard to criticism of the government flight without masks in the ZDF morning magazine: “I can understand the outrage.” On Deutschlandfunk, he explained that the pictures gave the impression that the population had different rules than “the up there”. “So it would of course be politically wiser not to make use of such exceptions, if they exist.”
More: Winter tires and snow chains: Which corona rules apply in autumn