Access restrictions for the unvaccinated are also set to fall across the board soon.
(Photo: dpa)
Berlin The heads of government of the federal and state governments want to discuss far-reaching opening steps at their conference on Wednesday. The aim is to largely lift the corona restrictions by the beginning of spring on March 20 – with the exception of the obligation to wear masks indoors or on buses and trains. This is what it says in a first draft resolution for the video switching conference on February 16, which is available to the Handelsblatt.
Gradual easing is planned. It is therefore being considered to first allow private meetings with 20 people instead of the previous maximum of ten people. However, the number 20 is still in brackets, so it is still the subject of negotiations.
>> Read here: The wording of the draft resolution for the federal-state summit on February 16
If unvaccinated people take part in the meetings, the stricter rules in force until March 19 will remain in place: the meeting is then limited to your own household and a maximum of two people from another household.
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In addition, there should no longer be any access controls when shopping, customers only have to wear a medical mask or – if state regulations provide for this – an FFP2 mask. The first federal states had already repealed the previously applicable 2G rules for retail.
From March 4th, unvaccinated people should be allowed to visit restaurants or stay in hotels and guesthouses again – provided they present a daily updated test. However, only those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered with a negative test or a third vaccination (2G plus) are allowed to dance in discotheques and clubs.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the prime ministers still have to negotiate the number of participants in sporting events. Here, a maximum indoor occupancy of 40 percent or 4,000 spectators is being considered, outdoors 60 percent of the maximum capacity or 25,000 spectators. These numbers are still in square brackets.
Infection control measures limited until March 19th
From March 20th, all more far-reaching protective measures are to be dropped – including the mandatory home office regulation. However, the heads of government are asking the Bundestag to create a legal basis for the states to be able to order less drastic measures such as wearing masks beyond March 19. So far, the infection protection measures have been limited until this date.
After a meeting of the party committees, the designated FDP Secretary General Bijan Djir-Sarai demanded on Monday in Berlin: “We have to show the people in our country that the measures restricting freedom are about to end.” He spoke out in favor of the measures provided for in the Infection Protection Act measures to expire on March 19. If the situation deteriorates, Parliament can immediately adopt new protective measures.
However, the targeted “Freedom Day” at the beginning of spring does not mean that the federal and state heads of government see the pandemic finally over. They refer to the expert advice, which refers to the continued high number of unvaccinated people and new virus variants such as Omikron BA.2. “Against this background, according to the assessment of the experts, there is a risk of renewed waves of infection by autumn at the latest,” says the draft resolution.
The federal and state governments therefore emphasize the need for the controversial general vaccination requirement in order to be prepared for the coming autumn and winter. The vaccination requirement for staff in health and care facilities is also to come, although countries such as Bavaria or Saarland point to problems with practical implementation.
The paper states that the federal and state health ministers continue to coordinate closely on implementation. However, it will not be the case that unvaccinated nursing staff are immediately and automatically no longer allowed to enter facilities.
It is still unclear when the Bundestag can discuss group applications for general vaccination. The designated leader of the Greens, Ricarda Lang, emphasized that she still hopes that an initial debate on the motions can take place by the end of this week. A group of MPs from the SPD, Greens and FDP has already presented a draft law for compulsory vaccination from the age of 18.
In contrast, the Union faction is campaigning for a “Vaccination Prevention Act” that provides for compulsory vaccinations based on age and occupational groups if the corona situation worsens. A group led by FDP health expert Andrew Ullmann is working on compulsory vaccinations from the age of 50, while other parliamentarians led by Bundestag Vice President Wolfgang Kubicki completely reject compulsory vaccination.
Federal government agrees to extend aid
SPD leader Saskia Esken said on Monday that the CDU and CSU had “embarked on a constructive path” with their idea of staggered compulsory vaccination, which was “quite worth considering”. However, preventive measures must be taken in any case and these stages should not only come into force once a new corona wave has begun.
The federal government has now agreed to extend the corona aid for the economy beyond the end of March. Accordingly, the bridging aid IV should be available until the end of June. The government had previously decided to extend easier access to short-time work until the middle of the year.
More: Finance Minister Lindner wants to abolish 2G rules and contact restrictions for vaccinated people immediately