Can a protective mask requirement in Germany be a way out of the Corana crisis? In Austria you can only wear a mouthguard in supermarkets
- Germany is discussing a requirement to wear a mask to combat the corona virus .
- Will all Germans soon wear protective masks in public?
- Corresponding regulations already exist in Austria and Jena .
- The guide to our corona virus reporting *. Here you can find current Corona case numbers from Germany * and the world as well as a Germany map of the Corona numbers *.
Berlin / Munich - Will we Germans soon wear all mouth guards in public to curb the spread of the corona virus? As of Wednesday, Austria is obliged to wear mouth and nose protection. The masks are distributed in front of the supermarkets. In the medium term, there should be a mouth protection requirement everywhere in the public. The masks are used in particular for third-party protection, that is, so as not to infect others unconsciously, provided that the virus is already being unwittingly carried.
Mask requirement in Germany: Jena is the first city to make protective masks compulsory
The city of Jena also follows a similar path. Starting next week, it will be the first German city to make a protective mask compulsory, for example in local public transport or in buildings with a lot of public traffic. Shawls or scarves are also possible, provided they cover the nose and mouth. The town hall “urges” the population to sew protective masks themselves.
Virologists have also suggested wearing protective masks in public. In his NDR podcast, virologist Christian Drosten spoke of the fact that neckerchiefs can also be useful as protection against infection * from others. In his MDR podcast, his colleague Alexander Kekulé designed an exit scenario * according to which the Germans would have to wear appropriate masks in public for months.
Is the protective mask compulsory in Germany? Söder evades the question in the morning magazine
Is this the first step towards a Germany-wide protective mask requirement? Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder avoided the question on Tuesday morning in the morning magazine of ARD and ZDF . According to Söder, no such obligation is currently planned. The most important thing at the moment is to adhere to the minimum distance.
Germany first needed more masks, “namely the high-quality masks, the medically perfect masks for all of our staff in hospitals and medical practices. That alone is missing. That is why it is important that we do not start by discussing an obligation, but rather procurement. ”Söder advocated“ national emergency production ”.
Federal government warns of "false sense of security" when it comes to mouth protection
The spokesman for the federal government, Steffen Seibert , was reluctant to respond to the request on Monday. Such protection is "perhaps a useful addition to the already applicable hygiene rules," said Seibert. However, this should not lead to "a wrong feeling of security" and the rules such as keeping your distance, washing your hands and avoiding contacts would no longer be observed.
A spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Health, on the other hand, said that the use of such mouth-nose masks could be considered particularly when considering exit scenarios from the currently applicable corona measures.
The SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach told the editorial network Germany (RND): "From a medical point of view, I personally think such a provision makes a lot of sense." The importance of masks to curb the spread of the coronavirus was initially greatly underestimated. However, the prerequisite is "that there are enough masks and that they are not missing for the medical staff".
Protective mask requirements would have to be prescribed by the federal states or local health authorities
According to the RND report, such a mandatory mask would be legally possible in Germany. However, it would have to be ordered by the federal states or the local health authorities. According to RND research, corresponding plans would not yet be running in the countries.
likes / dpa
* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network