"Freedom Day" on March 20th: Mixed reactions to corona easing

Created: 02/18/2022, 09:11

By: Andreas Apetz

In view of the planned easing of the corona measures, the Hessian Minister of Education is also calling for an end to the mask requirement for schoolchildren.

(symbol photo) © Sebastian Gollnow/dpa

The federal and state governments are planning “Freedom Day”.

There is a step-by-step plan behind it.

The reactions are very different.

Update from Friday, February 18th, 2022, 9:00 a.m.:

In view of the planned easing of the corona rules, reactions in Germany are still divided.

Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth (Greens) is happy about a "clear perspective" for the cultural sector.

"I am very happy that more is possible again," Roth told the editorial network Germany.

From March 20th, cultural institutions could again dispense with access and contact restrictions if the infection process does not dramatize again.

Museums, theatres, concert halls and cinemas can prepare for normal operations to return to their houses in spring.

The Hessian Minister of Education Alexander Lorz is also in favor of relaxing the corona rules for the obligation to wear masks in places and for corona tests in schools.

"So if things are to be relaxed in all areas of society now, we must also make it easier for children and young people to return to normal in schools," Lorz told the German Press Agency.

"Freedom Day": Most of the corona measures are to be dropped on March 20th

Most of the corona protection measures should not be extended after the legal basis expires on March 19, Christian Dürr also confirmed.

"What is certainly not possible is imprisonment in reserve, so to speak," said the FDP parliamentary group leader in the Bundestag to the RTL and ntv broadcasters.

The federal government should only reintroduce the rules if the situation requires it.

The Bundestag is "capable of acting at any time," stressed Dürr.

However, Bavaria's Health Minister Klaus Holetschek warned the federal and state governments not to underestimate the further course of the corona pandemic in view of the falling number of infections.

According to Holetschek, “basic protective measures such as masks and distance” should be retained.

A general obligation to vaccinate should be implemented “now”.

"Freedom Day" on March 20: Scholz announces easing - federal states refuse

Update from Thursday, February 17th, 2022, 3:50 p.m.:

The first stage of the federal government’s three-stage plan relaxes the corona rules for meetings in the private sector and the measures for retail (see update from February 16th, 2022, 7:10 p.m.).

However, the countries do not seem to agree on every point.

Some federal states have already announced that they will deviate from the federal government's plan.

Saxony-Anhalt sees the three-stage plan only "as a framework for the actions of the federal states."

In northern Germany, the implementation of the new corona rules could not be more different: While Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania announced that it would only implement the relaxation for private meetings on February 24, Schleswig-Holstein is already planning to lift the contact restrictions for the unvaccinated.

In the south, Baden-Württemberg is insisting on extending the existing legal basis for far-reaching protective measures by a further three months.

"The opening steps aimed at jointly by the federal and state governments require protection through suitable measures," Baden-Württemberg justified the demand according to the RND.

The government's draft resolution states that the federal states may decide "on their own responsibility" about the opening steps.

Lower Saxony announced on Wednesday evening (February 16, 2022) that it would implement the steps from the draft resolution one-to-one.

Corona loosening: Scholz announces the gradual lifting of the measures

Update from Wednesday, February 16th, 2022, 5.30 p.m .:

New corona rules were decided at the press conference after the Corona summit with Olaf Scholz (SPD).

The Federal Chancellor announced that by March 20, the corona measures should be relaxed step by step using a three-stage plan.

The first stage provides for relaxation in the private sector.

Meetings of those who have recovered and those who have been vaccinated no longer have a maximum number of people.

The current restrictions will initially remain in place for meetings with the unvaccinated.

In addition, 2G will be abolished in retail, so there is an FFP2 mask requirement there.

The planned changes will apply as soon as they are implemented by the individual federal states.

First report from Wednesday, February 16th, 2022, 1:30 p.m.:

Berlin/Frankfurt – After almost two years of the pandemic*, nationwide easing should be decided at the Corona summit with Olaf Scholz*.

Following the example of Denmark, where all corona measures* were lifted at the end of January, “Freedom Day” seems to be getting closer in Germany too.

The federal and state governments have set March 20 as the deadline for far-reaching easing.

Until then, the previous corona protection measures will gradually be relaxed.

At the end of March, all “profound restrictions” will come to an end.

But what does that mean?

Corona summit: draft resolution includes a three-stage plan – these relaxations are coming

Gradual easing is planned until "Freedom Day" on March 20, 2022.

According to the federal and state governments, the “far-reaching restrictions on social, cultural and economic life” are to be phased out again in stages.

Specifically, this is done in three steps:

• As a first step

  , private meetings for vaccinated and recovered people with more than ten participants should be allowed.

  The upper limit should rise to 20 people.

  However, this should not apply to the unvaccinated, as the draft resolution states: "Due to the particular risk to the unvaccinated, the restrictions for these people will remain in place until March 19, 2022." The draft also provides for the abolition of corona controls retail before.

  Only wearing an FFP2 mask should continue to be recommended.

• In the second step

  , only the 3G rule should apply in gastronomy and overnight accommodation.

  According to the draft, discotheques and clubs will be open to those who have recovered and those who have been vaccinated with a daily test or with a third vaccination – so a strict 2G Plus rule should apply here.

• In the third step

  , from March 20, 2022, "all more far-reaching protective measures" will be eliminated.

  The draft resolution also states: “The home office regulations that are mandatory under the Infection Protection Act are also no longer applicable.” March 20 is therefore being discussed as “Freedom Day”.

According to the concept, however, "Freedom Day" is not set in stone: "Before each step, it is necessary to check in both directions whether the planned measures are appropriate to the situation," says the draft resolution of the federal government.

At the same time, the Expert Council of the Federal Government points out that the spread of the omicron variant BA.2 could lead to a renewed increase in incidence and to a lengthening of the omicron wave.

According to the experts, there would be a risk of another wave of infections by autumn at the latest, not least because of the constantly developing virus mutations.

We are in a new phase of the pandemic.

Despite planned easing, a high level of attention must be paid, according to the latest decision.

Corona summit wants “Freedom Day”: That should change on March 20th

All “more profound protective measures” are to be dropped on March 20th.

Which Corona rules even count as “profound” measures?

Among the so-called “low-threshold basic protection measures”, the government includes the obligation to wear masks in the closed rooms of public facilities as well as on buses and trains.

This also includes the distance requirement, general hygiene requirements, the possibility of providing for test requirements in certain areas and the obligation to provide evidence of vaccination, convalescence and test status.

The omission of all corona measures - as in Denmark - is impossible.

The Corona requirements cannot be completely reduced, said Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach* of the dpa in Berlin.

Concrete measures by March 20 according to the draft resolution from the federal and state governments

Contact restrictions:

Up to 20 recovered and vaccinated people should be allowed to meet again.

Events:

Events should be possible again with the 2G or 2G Plus concept.

Gastronomy:

Bars and restaurants should be allowed to open again with the 3G concept.

Retail:

Restrictions in retail are to be abolished.

Discotheques and clubs:

With the 2G Plus concept, dance halls should be allowed to open again.

Rather, it requires a large “corona cutlery” that allows the countries to react more agile to the number of infections.

"That's why we have to formulate the Infection Protection Act in such a way that basic protection remains guaranteed and can be extended if necessary," says Lauterbach.

The Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hendrik Wüst, confirmed Lauterbach's view: "We still need at least the possibility of proven protective measures such as compulsory masks, distance rules and hygiene concepts."

"Low-threshold basic protection measures" will therefore still apply after March 20th.

Nevertheless, it is relaxed.

For gastronomy, retail and public life, "Freedom Day" will be a big step.

Cultural events and concerts can take place again, discotheques and clubs can reopen - March 20th could not only herald the calendar spring, but also the return to the time before the pandemic.

(aa/dpa)