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.
According to the draft by Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) and Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann (FDP), 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 Lauterbach and Federal Minister of Justice Buschmann at the beginning of August. Parliamentary deliberations follow the cabinet decision.
The new corona measures are to apply from October 1st. The previous corona provisions in the Infection Protection Act expire before then. By then, the legislative process for the new rules must have been completed.
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. Planned exceptions for newly vaccinated and recovered people 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 according to clear criteria as to when a second, stricter standard level applies to the corona measures.
changes in detail
These “snow chains” would also be applied if the situation worsened, based on certain legally regulated indicators that demonstrate a danger 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.
“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.”
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. “
>> Read here: “Wearing masks indoors should be the rule” – Lauterbach specifies the Corona autumn plan
The cabinet decision was sharply criticized during the trip to Canada by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens). Scholz and Habeck flew on to the last stop of their three-day trip to Canada – on the way from Toronto to Newfoundland there was again no obligation to wear a mask on board the government plane. There was only one recommendation. The mandatory PCR tests before the start of the journey in Berlin on Sunday were at least 50 hours ago at the time of departure.
The fact that the Federal Minister of Economics did not wear a mask on the plane caused a stir.
(Photo: dpa)
Images of the two heads of government flying to Canada had caused a stir. 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 view of the criticism, Scholz referred to “clear rules” for government flights.
Debate about compulsory masks
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 again about easing protective measures on airplanes. “As soon as the cabinet has passed the final version of the Infection Protection Act, we will consult with our coalition partners and check where there is a need for improvement,” said Christian Dürr, FDP parliamentary group leader, to the “Spiegel”. He made a similar statement in the “Augsburger Allgemeine”.
>> Read here: “Inconsistencies in Corona policy”: Government flight without mask requirement triggers debate
As an example, Dürr cited the debate about the obligation to wear masks on airplanes. 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?”
With agency material.
More: Winter tires and snow chains: Which corona rules apply in autumn