Despite the delta variant of the corona virus, there will be no new, stricter regulations for travelers returning for the time being.
Changes, however, are planned for the vaccination centers in autumn.
Berlin - Almost every second new infection in Germany is likely to be due to the more contagious Delta variant, estimates the Robert Koch Institute.
For the time being nothing will change for vacationers.
ENTRY
Despite growing concerns about the increased introduction of the more contagious Delta variant, travelers do not have to prepare for stricter corona regulations for the time being. That is the result of deliberations by the federal and state governments on Monday, as the German press agency in Berlin learned. The current entry regulations will therefore not be changed at short notice. Several prime ministers had called for stricter regulations to prevent the corona situation from worsening again.
Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) is in favor of checks on returning travelers at the borders, but wants to avoid chaos. He currently sees no reason for stationary border controls. "We have to make sure that we do not bring an additional infection into the country," said the CSU politician of the "Süddeutsche Zeitung". According to his own statement, instead of stationary border controls, he has a similar system in mind as last year: a so-called "veil measure" in which travelers are checked in places as close as possible to the border. It is also conceivable that rapid test stations could be set up there again.
Saarland's Prime Minister Tobias Hans called for stricter reviews of travelers returning. “I do not expect the corona pandemic to end quickly. It would be naive to believe that the number of infections in our country is no longer increasing. This can also be seen in countries like Great Britain and Israel, which are currently experiencing a fourth wave despite high levels of vaccination among their populations, ”said the CDU politician of the“ Rheinische Post ”. Vacation trips during the summer holidays in particular could become a breeding ground for another wave of pandemics. "For the return from certain risk countries or for air travelers, test obligations already apply, these should also be checked more closely at the airports." However, it is difficult for travelers who returned by car or train, for example from Spain or Franceto review the tests. "That is why we have to continue to hold regular tests in schools, restaurants, fitness studios and companies, for example."
VACCINATION CENTERS
The health ministers of the federal states want to reduce the operation of the vaccination centers in the autumn.
Even beyond September 30th, state or municipal vaccination offers are being used to contain the corona pandemic.
However, the focus should increasingly be on mobile vaccination teams, according to a decision taken by the health ministers' conference on Monday evening.
The federal states could decide for themselves about the future infrastructure of the vaccination offer.
If necessary, the vaccination centers should also be able to be reactivated quickly in any case.
SCHOOLS
The Association of Towns and Municipalities calls for measures to prevent further school closings in autumn.
“I see the biggest problem at the moment in schools because most of the children are not vaccinated and cannot be vaccinated.
This harbors the risk that we will fall back into a lockdown in our educational areas.
That must be prevented, ”said managing director Gerd Landsberg of the“ Passauer Neue Presse ”.
In order to effectively implement the hygiene measures at the schools, the municipalities, as school authorities, would need a funding commitment from the federal and state governments, Landsberg demanded in the newspapers of the Funke media group.
Time-consuming funding programs should be avoided.
"We have to make it clear to ourselves again and again that we are still in a race with the virus and accordingly have no time to lose."
VACCINATIONS IN CHILDREN
In the debate about the risks posed by the delta variant for children, paediatricians have backed the assessment of the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko).
“We paediatricians follow the assessment of the Standing Vaccination Commission.
In principle, they only recommended the corona vaccination for children and adolescents between 12 and 17 years of age with certain previous illnesses, ”said the President of the German Society for Child and Adolescent Medicine, Jörg Dötsch, of the“ Rheinische Post ”.
"According to the current state of knowledge, the delta variant does not change anything." He currently assesses the health risks from a corona infection for children and adolescents as so low that waiting for new findings on vaccination could be an option for hesitant people.
DELTA
The more contagious Delta variant is spreading more and more in Germany. It now accounts for at least 35 percent of the samples examined, said the President of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Lothar Wieler, in a switch of the federal and state health ministers, as the German Press Agency learned from participants. Since the data are already a few days old, the proportion can actually be estimated at around 50 percent. Officially, the RKI always publishes the new information on the virus variant proportions on Wednesday evening. dpa
