Mask requirement at Aldi, Rewe and Co.: Corona change in supermarkets and discounters from April

Created: 04/01/2022, 14:46

By: Anna Lorenz

The mask requirement in the supermarket is falling.

© IMAGO/Rolf Poss

Aldi, Rewe, Penny, Kaufland - they have one thing in common: masks are compulsory in supermarkets and discounters.

Read here what will change in the Corona rules from April.

Berlin - On April 2, 2022, the time has come: The new Infection Protection Act, which has already brought some changes to the corona protection measures since March 20, 2022, will come into full effect next month.

All regulations that are linked to the vaccinated or recovered status (2G, 3G, 2G-Plus) are therefore no longer applicable.

In particular, with regard to the obligation to wear a mask, there will be the following innovations from Saturday:

• Masks are compulsory

   in hospitals and care facilities.

• Masks are compulsory

   on public transport.

• No mask requirement

  in bars, retail and other areas of public life.

• Hotspot regulation:

  Depending on the incidence, a region can be declared a hotspot - a mask requirement is then possible again.

Changes to April: Corona rules fall - Minister of Health asks for a voluntary mask requirement

Although some welcome the easing, the appeal by Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach is very thought-provoking: As this video shows, the minister is asking for the mask requirement to be maintained voluntarily.

According to Lauterbach, retailers such as Aldi, Rewe and Co. in particular should insist on wearing a mouth and nose cover in their branches by domiciliary rights.

When asked why a mask requirement is no longer prescribed by law, the minister says that another obligation is not legally feasible - within the framework of proportionality, the review of measures would now be to the detriment of the general mask requirement.

Corona rules: masks are compulsory - countries disagree, retailers are relieved

In this respect, Lauterbach's hope rests on the dealers - but they are not enthusiastic: "The mask is now part of everyday life for many customers, but it is not a permanent solution," said the general manager of the German trade association, Stefan Genth, to the

.

The supermarkets and discounters themselves have also kept a low profile so far, but let it be known that they want to do without the voluntary obligation to wear a mask.

"Masks are an obstacle to business," says Bernd Ohlmann, spokesman for the Bavarian Trade Association, "The vast majority of our members tell us: 'With a mask, there is no shopping feeling.'"

While the politicians of the federal and state governments disagree on many points on the question of the possibility of being able to reintroduce the obligation to wear masks via a hotspot regulation by the state if necessary, supermarkets and discounters position themselves quite clearly: You follow the law, This is the core statement of the grocers, who fundamentally reject the “mask requirement by domiciliary rights”.

According to Ohlmann, however, "it can be assumed that the majority of customers will continue to wear the mask, at least in the medium term." So if you don't want to follow the path of Aldi, Rewe and Co. in view of the current corona virus numbers, you have to take action yourself.

(askl)