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Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach
Photo: Frederic Kern / imago images/Future Image
Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) warned of an increase in the number of corona in the summer and called for extensive protection options to be maintained beyond March 20th.
"We have to reckon with a summer wave," Lauterbach told the Funke newspapers on Saturday.
Both the delta and the omicron variant are so infectious that even in good weather, many contacts and the decreasing vaccination protection could lead to an increase in the number of infections.
The minister demanded that the Infection Protection Act be geared to this.
On Friday, relaxation of the corona measures came into force nationwide, affecting restaurants, discotheques and events in particular.
However, these regulations will already expire on March 19th.
Because only up to this point in time does the Infection Protection Act allow the previous corona restrictions.
The federal and state governments agree in principle that there should continue to be a certain basic protection from March 20th.
However, there is still no agreement on its exact form.
Lauterbach said countries must be able to react early to coming waves.
"It should be possible to set upper limits for private meetings and public events as well as access rules for restaurants, for example, i.e. 2G or 2G Plus regulations." The instruments should only be used when they are actually necessary.
A mask requirement could also remain important.
The Minister of Health believes it is possible that the corona virus will remain for several decades: "I'm pretty sure we'll get an autumn wave.
And even after that Corona will keep us busy for a long time - a decade or more.« He pointed out that the HIV virus appeared 40 years ago - »and it is still there«.
Lauterbach said: "We always have to reckon with corona variants, and there can also be dangerous variants."
xvc/AFP