Home office, mask requirement and 3G: the new law on protection against infection by the traffic light parties has been passed by the Bundestag.
SPD *, FDP * and Greens * have submitted a draft law for the new Infection Protection Act.
In the Corona * crisis, the law provides, among other things, 3G and 2G regulations, a mask requirement and distance requirements.
The Bundestag * approved the law on Thursday (November 18, 2021).
Update from November 19, 2021, 4:34 a.m.:
The Federal Council will decide on Friday (9:30 a.m.) on the future Corona containment measures. In a special session, the state chamber is dealing with the new version of the Infection Protection Act, which was passed in the Bundestag on Thursday with the votes of the SPD, Greens and FDP. The amendment should continue to enable a large number of measures to combat pandemics if the epidemic situation of national scope as the previous legal basis expires in the middle of next week.
In the Federal Council, however, there is criticism of the package of measures taken by the traffic light parties and the expiry of the epidemic situation.
North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) has announced the Union's resistance in the federal states.
Without the consent of states in which the CDU or CSU co-govern, there is no majority in the chamber of states.
Infection Protection Act: Bundestag adopts corona rules - one hurdle remains
Berlin - After a controversial and committed debate, the Bundestag has placed the corona measures on a new legal basis: the Infection Protection Act.
On Thursday (November 18, 2021) in Berlin, parliament approved the changes to the law introduced by the SPD, Greens and FDP.
Members of the possible future traffic light coalition defended their law.
Union politicians accused the future coalitionists of curtailing the federal states' options for action in the worst phase of the corona pandemic to date.
In order for the law of the traffic light parliamentary groups to come into force, the Federal Council must also approve this Friday (November 19, 2021).
Against the background of new highs for infections every day, the Prime Ministers wanted to meet with the Executive Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) to discuss the Corona situation at a summit at noon.
Bundestag speaks out in favor of the new Infection Protection Act
In the following you can read the live ticker for the vote on the Infection Protection Act in the Bundestag:
+++ 12.17 p.m.:
The votes are counted.
A majority of the Bundestag voted in favor of the new Infection Protection Act.
398 MPs voted in favor, 254 against and 36 abstained, as Bundestag Vice President Aydan Özoguz (SPD) announced.
The Federal Council still has to agree, the Union continues to threaten rejection.
Infection Protection Act in the Bundestag: The votes are counted
+++ 11.24 a.m.:
The roll call vote is over.
Now the votes are counted.
+++ 11.15 a.m.:
A majority in the Bundestag is in favor of the new Infection Protection Act, with which measures in the corona pandemic should continue to apply even after the epidemic emergency has expired.
The Bundestag voted in second reading for the law on Thursday, with a majority of the SPD, Greens and FDP.
Union and AfD voted no, the left abstained.
The third reading, which took the form of a roll-call vote, is decisive.
This result is still pending.
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The new Infection Protection Act received the approval of the majority in the Bundestag.
© Michael Kappeler
+++ 11.11 a.m.:
In the debate, Managing Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) asked the traffic light groups to also take responsibility for the planned new regulations on corona measures.
The SPD, Greens and FDP have improved a lot and responded to criticism, said Spahn in a brief intervention as a member of the Bundestag.
This is important and correct because it expands the catalog of measures.
However, if the majority of the traffic lights decide in favor of this route, contrary to its suggestions, "please do not always take someone else as a key witness for it"
Infection Protection Act in the Bundestag: roll-call voting is ongoing
+++ 11.04 a.m.:
If the draft law finds the approval of the majority with the votes of the future traffic light coalition, the Federal Council still has to approve.
The Union is threatening a blockade.
Today, Thursday, the federal and state governments will meet for deliberations in the afternoon.
+++ 10.50 a.m.:
The Bundestag is slowly preparing for the votes.
The vote on the amendment of the Infection Protection Act takes place in a roll call.
The process can take until 11.30 a.m.
+++ 10:37 a.m.:
Karl Lauterbach's Twitter attack against the AfD *.
The SPD health expert writes in the short message service: “In the debate on Covid, AfD MP Sichert speaks from the tribune, he is sitting there because he does not want to be tested.
From there he rushes against the vaccination, it is more dangerous than Covid "
In the debate on Covid, AfD MP Sichert speaks from the tribune, he is sitting there because he does not want to be tested.
From there he rushes against the vaccination, it is more dangerous than Covid.
And you have to listen to that in the Bundestag.
People like him are to blame, others die pic.twitter.com/1d2qjD5Rxf
- Karl Lauterbach (@Karl_Lauterbach) November 18, 2021
+++ 10:20 a.m.:
The left in the Bundestag has criticized the lack of reliability in the corona policy. "After almost two years of pandemic, many citizens are tired of hearing sayings where the half-life does not even survive the lunch break - that undermines acceptance," said parliamentary group leader Dietmar Bartsch in the debate about the new Corona regulations. Too little has happened in the past few months. There is a federal government that has gone into summer sleep.
+++ 10.10 a.m.:
The Union parliamentary group deputy Thorsten Frei has accused the SPD, Greens and FDP of going in the wrong direction when fighting the pandemic.
"Please turn around," said the CDU politician in the Bundestag on Thursday.
The traffic light's plans not to prolong the “epidemic situation of national scope” previously determined by the Bundestag are irresponsible.
This would knock instruments out of the hands of the countries.
"This is not how we fight the pandemic," said Frei.
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Martin Sichert (AfD) speaks from the stands during the session of the Bundestag.
© Kay Nietfeld / dpa
+++ 10.00 am:
The draft law of the traffic light parliamentary groups will “not do justice to the drama of the situation”, criticized the Union parliamentary group vice Stephan Stracke (CSU) the plans of the future government.
"They shorten the catalog of measures of the federal states." It is a mistake not to prolong the epidemic situation of national scope.
The SPD also delayed the convening of the federal-state consultations on the corona situation.
"That shows: you have no plan for this pandemic," said Stracke.
The traffic light parties would have "completely lost".
Katrin Göring-Eckardt criticizes North Rhine-Westphalia
+++ 9.47 a.m.:
Green parliamentary group leader Katrin Göring-Eckardt has rejected the CDU / CSU's criticism of the traffic light parties' corona plans.
"The legal situation that you are suing here exists," she said to a previous speaker from the CSU in the Bundestag.
However, tougher measures to combat pandemics have not been implemented by many countries.
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Olaf Scholz (SPD), Executive Minister of Finance, in conversation with Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) during the session of the Bundestag.
© Michael Kappeler / dpa
"If you want to celebrate Carnival on the one hand and say 'That was really great' and the day after tomorrow say 'But we have a huge emergency', then that's definitely not credible for me from North Rhine-Westphalia," said Göring-Eckardt.
The measures now planned went much further than the previous ones.
Debate on the Infection Protection Act in the Bundestag: Union continues to reject draft law
+++ 9:37 a.m.:
The Union continues to reject the draft law as inadequate and is pushing for further regulations.
That is why SPD health expert Sabine Dittmar accuses the CDU / CSU of wanting to maintain “special rights” such as curfews and a ban on accommodation.
+++ 9.30 a.m.:
The SPD has defended the planned new corona regulations in the Bundestag against criticism.
"We are reacting to the very difficult corona situation with necessary and legally secure measures," said SPD health expert Sabine Dittmar in her speech.
This would give the federal states more opportunities to act than with the legal situation that is still in force.
This also included options for health authorities to order individual closings in the event of specific outbreaks.
Debate on the Infection Protection Act in the Bundestag: parties stick to their positions
+++ 9.15 a.m.:
The debate starts with a tough argument. The CDU wants to extend the current Infection Protection Act, the traffic lights remain with their draft law. The CDU makes it clear that it will not approve the draft today.
+++ 8.30 a.m.:
From 9 a.m. on Thursday (November 18, 2021), the Bundestag wants to vote on the new corona measures developed by the presumed future government factions SPD, Greens and FDP.
The traffic light groups quickly put the new infection protection law into force.
It provides, for example, that counterfeiters of corona tests, recovery or vaccination certificates face up to five years in prison in the worst case.
Anyone who uses buses, trains and planes taking off in this country must therefore be able to prove in future that they have been vaccinated, recovered or tested - there are exceptions for children, among other things.
Employees and visitors should only get access to nursing homes, clinics and facilities for people with disabilities with a daily negative test.
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Bundestag President Bärbel Bas (SPD) opens the session of the Bundestag.
© Michael Kappeler / dpa
If the respective parliament so decides, the states should be able to continue to take tough measures, such as restrictions and bans on events in leisure, culture and sport.
Church services and tourism, for example, should no longer be restricted.
Big criticism of the plans comes from the Union.
She threatens to deny the necessary approval to the rules in the Federal Council on Friday because, in her opinion, it does not go far enough.
Corona regulations: Traffic light coalition presents Infection Protection Act
Update from November 18, 2021, 5:08 a.m.:
The President of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Lothar Wieler, drew a dramatic picture of the current Corona situation in Germany on Wednesday evening (
November 17, 2021
).
The numbers went up steeply, they were higher than known: "The under-reporting of the true numbers is increasing," he said at an online discussion event.
Behind the more than 50,000 infections that are currently registered per day, “there are at least twice or three times as many”.
Among other things, Wieler advocated vaccinating pharmacists.
"We are in an emergency, and in an emergency you have to be generous with certain things."
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RKI boss Lothar Wieler: "We are in an emergency, and in an emergency you have to be generous with certain things."
© Kay Nietfeld / dpa
In view of the dramatic situation, politicians are fighting for quick countermeasures.
Today, Thursday (November 18, 2021), the Bundestag wants to vote on the new corona measures drawn up by the presumed future government factions SPD, Greens and FDP.
Big criticism of the plans comes from the Union.
She threatens to refuse the necessary approval to the rules on Friday (November 19, 2021) in the Federal Council because, in her opinion, it does not go far enough.
On Thursday lunchtime, the prime ministers will also discuss how to proceed with Corona with Executive Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU).
It should be about a uniform line for example with access rules, alarm thresholds of the hospital load and more vaccinations.
Infection Protection Act: New corona rules have been submitted to the Bundestag
Initial report:
Berlin - The discussions on the new infection protection law by the SPD, FDP and the Greens are progressing.
The traffic light parties' draft law was approved by the main committee on Tuesday evening (November 16, 2021).
The draft law is to be passed in plenary on Thursday (November 18, 2021), and the Federal Council is supposed to approve it on Friday.
This was reported by the news agency Agence France-Presse.
The background to this is the expiry of the epidemic situation on November 25th, which has so far been the legal basis for the measures taken in the Corona crisis.
Infection Protection Act: New Corona rules - mask requirement and 2G and 3G regulations
The new law, which is to come into force as a nationwide uniform package of measures, provides for measures such as the mask requirement, distance requirements and 3G and 2G rules.
The 3G rule is to be introduced across the board in the workplace as well as in local and long-distance public transport.
This also includes domestic flights.
School transport and taxis are excluded.
In order to ensure compliance with the 3G rule, random checks should be carried out.
Restaurants should be allowed to stay open provided they comply with hygiene concepts.
Contact details of customers, guests or participants in an event may continue to be recorded.
SPD, FDP and Greens present Infection Protection Act - contact restrictions possible
"The situation is very, very critical", justified the SPD health expert Sabine Dittmar the sometimes drastic measures.
The FDP health expert Christine Aschenberg-Dugnus spoke of a "really effective package of measures to fight Corona robustly".
Employers should also, as far as possible, offer the opportunity to work from home again.
In order to better protect so-called vulnerable groups, especially the elderly, employers, employees and visitors are required to test in hospitals and preventive and rehabilitation facilities.
Hospitals get a care surcharge for every Covid 19 patient they admit.
The draft law also includes the continuation of social and economic protective screens.
Infection Protection Act: Corona rules for traffic lights do not go far enough for the CDU
However, because the plans of the traffic light parties did not go far enough for the Union, further points have been added.
In the event of a specific epidemic danger, the federal states should be able to impose restrictions on persons for companies, facilities or events, for example, by resolution of the state parliaments.
Contact restrictions in private and public spaces should also be allowed.
General closings of shops or schools and bans on cultural events should no longer exist according to the draft of the traffic light.
With the latest changes, the SPD, Greens and FDP have accommodated the Union, said parliamentary group vice-chairman Thorsten Frei (CDU *) in Berlin. The current version of the draft law still falls far short of what the current Infection Protection Act enables. Frei described the planned 3G rule at work as positive. But overall, the new draft is "not what we think is right and adequate in this situation," said Frei, according to Agence France-Presse.
Frei also criticized the fact that the traffic light parties did not want to prolong the epidemic emergency of national scope.
There is absolutely no reason not to use this “tried and tested instrument” any more, concluded Frei.
The Union wants to apply to the Bundestag to extend the epidemic emergency beyond November 25th.
(acg / skr with dpa / AFP)
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List of rubric lists: © Michael Kappeler
