With a new regulation, Thuringia is taking the next step in relaxing anti-corona measures. It also opens up new perspectives for childcare.
Erfurt (dpa) - Demonstrations in Thuringia should again be possible from Wednesday without restrictions on the number of participants. This provides for a regulation that the cabinet has agreed on, as the State Ministry of Health said on Tuesday in Erfurt.
So far, because of the corona pandemic, outdoor gatherings are only allowed with a maximum of 50 participants. In closed rooms, the number is limited to 30. However, strict infection protection rules should continue to apply. The regulation is due to come into force on Wednesday.
In recent days there have been repeated demonstrations against government measures to control the corona virus, involving significantly more people than allowed. Thuringia's FDP leader Thomas Kemmerich made headlines, who took part in such a demonstration in Gera and has been criticized ever since.
With the new regulation, the state government has relaxed numerous bans and restrictions in recent weeks. Among other things, it provides that restaurants and pubs may reopen from Friday. In addition, the municipalities should decide for themselves whether they want to end the emergency care in the kindergartens from May 18 and switch back to restricted regular operation. However, all kindergartens in Thuringia should start such regular operation by June 15 at the latest.
"I want nothing so much that I could open all schools and kindergartens in Thuringia," said Thuringia's Minister of Education Helmut Holter (left). The municipalities are responsible for the kindergartens.
Holter also announced that the restrictions on group sizes in day-care centers and schools that were previously envisaged are being abandoned. "It is no longer a question of how many children are in a study group," said Holter. In larger classrooms there could be more than the ten children and young people previously envisaged. In kindergartens, too, the group size should be based, among other things, on the spatial conditions.
In counties where certain infection numbers are exceeded, stricter rules may be reintroduced.
Contact restrictions should also continue to apply. Until now, members of a household could only meet one other person, in future it should be possible for all members of two households to meet.