CDU-led countries want to declare a pandemic situation

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NRW Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU): "For me, anticipatory action in the pandemic includes the preparation of mandatory vaccination by the federal government."

Photo: Bernd von Jutrczenka / dpa

Shortly before the beginning of the federal-state round, the CDU-led federal states sent out a new proposal for a resolution.

It is available to SPIEGEL.

In it, the B-Länder call on the Bundestag, in view of the warning from the Expert Council, to once again proclaim the pandemic situation of national scope.

The draft states in detail:

»On the basis of its analysis of the situation report, the Expert Council demands that it must be possible to react quickly to dynamic developments at any time with additional protective measures.

This requires the expansion of the options for fighting pandemics through the determination of the epidemic situation of national scope by the Bundestag. "

In addition to the demand for the pandemic situation, there are only a few changes in the draft compared to the version that leaked from SPD circles yesterday.

The day before, the Expert Council had reiterated its assessment of the seriousness of the situation and the threat of overloading the critical infrastructure.

The 19 experts warned that politicians would have to react with stricter restrictions if the situation worsened.

Shortly afterwards, the Chancellery submitted a draft to reduce quarantine. In the event of infection or contact with an infected person, according to the new draft, those affected should now be in isolation or quarantine for ten - instead of the previous 14 - days. They can be discharged after seven days if they present a negative PCR or high quality antigen test. Employees in the hospital or nursing home can be released from quarantine or isolation after five days with a negative PCR result. The quarantine does not apply to those "who have complete vaccination protection through the booster vaccination." The same applies to those who have just been vaccinated and who have just recovered. The fact that boosted people are referred to as those with "complete vaccination protection" indicates that the status of those who are considered vaccinatedshould be adjusted soon.

In addition, the B-countries are urging to take care of the introduction of compulsory vaccinations. While some members of the traffic light coalition are pushing for a swift introduction, some are putting on the brakes. The CDU-led countries therefore write in their draft that efforts must be significantly increased »so that the introduction of a general vaccination requirement for February 2022, which was already envisaged in the decision of December 2, 2021, can come into force in accordance with this schedule. The states are calling on the Bundestag and the federal government again to present a reliable schedule for this at short notice. "

North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) has announced that he will ask Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz about the topic at the joint conference.

He told the Phoenix broadcaster: "For me, anticipatory action in the pandemic includes preparing for mandatory vaccination by the federal government."

cte / mfh