The new measures should apply from October.
(Photo: Getty Images)
Berlin In view of an imminent wave of pandemics in autumn, the federal government has agreed on a phased approach to the corona protection measures. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD), Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) and Chancellery Minister Wolfgang Schmidt (SPD) announced this on Wednesday afternoon.
The Corona autumn and winter plan contains numerous measures that are bundled under the keyword “winter tires” and are to apply from October to Easter, said Schmidt. This includes, for example, wearing an FFP2 mask for passengers in air and long-distance traffic. In addition, a mask and test certificate is required for access to hospitals and care facilities.
The federal states can also specify further protective measures. This includes the obligation to wear masks in local public transport and in publicly accessible indoor areas. In addition, wearing a medical mask in schools can be ordered from the fifth grade, as well as tests in schools, daycare centers and other facilities.
A mandatory exception applies to leisure, cultural or sporting events, in leisure and cultural facilities as well as in gastronomic facilities and when practicing sports for newly recovered, tested or vaccinated people. Minister of Justice Buschmann said: “The mask is a great burden there or constant use cannot be ensured.” This is very “realistic and proportionate”.
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The “snow chains” would also be applied if the situation worsened “on the basis of certain legally regulated indicators” that demonstrate a danger to the health system, according to the Corona plan.
Countries set indicators
The indicators are determined by the federal states and are based on the hotspot rule specified in the current Infection Protection Act in March. These include, for example, hospital and intensive care bed occupancy. So far, however, the hotspot rule has hardly been used.
The new Corona rules for autumn
– 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
Then, following a state parliament resolution, the federal states could prescribe FFP2 masks for restaurants and publicly accessible interiors without exceptions, distance requirements, mandatory hygiene concepts and upper limits for persons at events.
Health Minister Lauterbach said with regard to the measures that there would be many cases in autumn and winter. “But they will not be as deadly as the Delta cases.” There will also be new vaccines that are adapted to the omicron variant.
Lauterbach spoke of a seven-point plan. “Vaccination campaigns with new vaccines, pandemic radar with up-to-date data, test and treatment concepts, protection concepts for nursing homes and a legally secure framework for protective measures: we can work with that,” he said.
The current Infection Protection Act expires on September 23 and is to apply as a transitional regulation until October 1. In the spring, the instruments were severely reduced under pressure from the FDP. General mask requirements when shopping or for events and access rules such as 2G and 3G were eliminated.
New Infection Protection Act: Months of negotiations
Months of negotiations preceded the autumn plan. SPD and Greens had pushed the FDP to make a decision before the summer break – and insisted on as many protective measures as possible. The Liberals, in turn, opposed it. Most recently, Buschmann and Lauterbach negotiated bilaterally. “Very loyal and discreet,” as the Minister of Justice emphasized.
Last week, the Minister of Health had already announced that the protection rules should be able to do without closing schools. Overall, however, “many further measures” are planned for different scenarios, which the federal states and sometimes also the federal government could use. Previously, Lauterbach had also spoken out in favor of quantity restrictions at major events and access restrictions.
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