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Curfew in Herford: Federal Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) calls for a "step towards normality"
Photo: Kirchner-Media / Wedel / imago images / Kirchner-Media
Federal Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) is planning significantly greater exemptions from corona protective measures than previously known for those who have been completely vaccinated and those who have recovered.
Lambrecht referred in the newspapers of the Funke media group (Friday editions) to the draft of their department for a corresponding regulation, which is now available.
"My draft stipulates that fully vaccinated and convalescents are exempted from exit and contact restrictions," said the minister.
The Ministry of Justice sent the proposal to the other federal ministries on Thursday.
The Bundestag and Bundesrat must agree.
If the SPD has its way, that should happen in the coming week.
Lambrecht went on to speak of an "important step towards normality". As already announced, the obligation to test for those who have been completely vaccinated and those who have recovered from a corona infection should also be suspended. The draft says: "That means that vaccinated and recovered people will be able to enter shops, visit zoos and botanical gardens or use the services of hairdressers and podiatrists again without prior testing." Exceptions to the contact restrictions were stated that these should only apply to meetings in which only vaccinated or convalescent people take part. Quarantine obligations should therefore also be dropped.
"The Basic Law only allows restrictions on our basic rights if there is a special justification for them," emphasized Lambrecht.
Protecting life and health in the pandemic is such a justification.
"But if it is now proven that those who have been completely vaccinated and recovered do not pose any particular danger, then we have to take back the restrictions on their basic rights," the minister clarified.
It is "not about special rights or privileges, but about a central requirement of our constitutional state."
Relief, especially for the elderly. Relief
The planned relief is "of great importance, especially for old people who were particularly threatened by the pandemic and who suffered particularly from the long-term isolation," said Lambrecht.
"And the medical staff, who are also exposed to extraordinary stresses during the pandemic, will be among the first to benefit from this." However, as the vaccinations progress, "more and more people could participate in it every day."
For everyone, however, the obligation to wear a mask in certain places and the distance requirement in public spaces should continue to apply.
People with Covid-19 symptoms such as shortness of breath or loss of smell and taste should be excluded from the planned relief.
Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) had previously announced that the Federal Council should decide on the planned new ordinance on May 28.
But of course things can also go faster, he announced at his press conference with RKI boss Lothar Wieler.
Spahn had left the extent of the relief open.
According to a report in the "Bild" newspaper, the federal cabinet will deal with Lambrecht's submission on May 12th.
Thereafter, a consultation in the Bundestag is also planned.
The relief should therefore apply to everyone whose final vaccination was at least 14 days ago or who had a corona disease at least 28 days and a maximum of six months ago.
According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) on Thursday, 25.9 percent of people in Germany have now received a first vaccination against the coronavirus, 7.5 percent are fully vaccinated.
mfh / AFP