Karl Lauterbach expects new resolutions in the Bund

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Health Minister Karl Lauterbach: "There will definitely be new resolutions"

Photo: Kay Nietfeld / dpa

On January 7th, the federal and state governments want to meet for a new switching conference to discuss their further corona strategy.

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) has already announced new rules before the meeting.

"There will definitely be new resolutions because we have to think about how we can change the quarantine regulation," said Lauterbach in an interview with RTL / ntv on Sunday evening.

The question is how long the quarantine should last, for example, for those who work in the critical infrastructure, in care facilities or hospitals. It remained open whether Lauterbach would only consider shortening the quarantine periods for contact persons or even shorter isolation times for infected people. Among other things, it must be clarified to what extent the deadlines for people with booster vaccinations could be changed, he said.

In order to prevent the Omikron wave from becoming too big, advice will also have to be given as to which contact restrictions are appropriate.

A contamination could not be afforded in Germany because of the high number of unvaccinated people, said Lauterbach.

“The number of cases will rise very sharply, and that will also affect many unvaccinated people, and they are not protected.

So I'm very worried. "

The German government's Corona Expert Council warned before Christmas that the health system and the entire critical infrastructure such as clinics, fire brigade or power supply would be extremely stressful if many people fell ill or had to be in quarantine at the same time.

For this reason, a shortening of the isolation or quarantine periods is being debated.

The Bavarian Health Minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU) had recently brought up an exemption from quarantine for boosted contact persons and suggested that the Robert Koch Institute should develop proposals for this.

mfh / dpa