Masks, hotspots, tests - and the exceptions: New draft shows German Corona plan for the summer

Created: 03/09/2022Updated: 03/09/2022 11:30 am

By: Marc Dimitriu

Even after March 19, the masks will remain in some areas.

© LEONHARD SIMON via www.imago-images.de

The corona measures in Germany will expire on March 20th.

But there are other considerations after that.

Munich – After lengthy negotiations, the traffic light coalition has agreed on a new infection protection law, with which certain corona protection measures should continue to be possible after March 19.

Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann (FDP) said on Wednesday in the ZDF “Morgenmagazin”: “I think we have found a very good compromise.” He negotiated this with Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) until Tuesday.

New Corona rules: Lauterbach continues to insist on basic measures

Lauterbach also said in the "Morgenmagazin" that certain basic measures should still be possible with the new regulation.

This includes wearing masks, including on public transport, or testing vulnerable groups in nursing homes or hospitals.

"Of course, opening everything is not planned," added the Minister of Health.

The agreement, which is expected to be approved by the cabinet on Wednesday, also includes a hotspot rule.

"If the number of cases is high or even increasing, and hospital care is even at risk, then further measures can be taken again immediately," said Lauterbach.

The state parliaments could then “decide immediately”.

The

is probably a reference draft with the individual points.

The draft must then pass the Bundestag and Bundesrat in the coming week in order to be able to come into force in time on March 20th.

The previous legal basis for the Corona measures expires on March 19.

These basic corona measures should remain in place

Even without an epidemic emergency of national scope, certain measures should remain in place from March 20th.

As the

reports, it should be about the following:

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• Mask requirement: 

  It will probably remain in 

  retirement homes

  and

  hospitals

  to protect vulnerable people.

  And 

   it should also continue to apply to guests and employees in

  local public transport

  – but the mask should probably no longer be necessary in

  long-distance transport .

• Test obligation: 

  In places where vulnerable groups are, i.e.

  old people’s homes

  and

  hospitals

  , a negative rapid test must still be presented.

  The 

   obligation to test should also remain in

  schools, prisons

  and other

  group accommodations .

New regulations for the hotspots

It should be possible for regional hotspots to impose tougher measures if “there is a concrete risk of a dynamically spreading infection situation”.

However, according to

, the state parliaments would have to determine such a situation and the respective region by vote.

According to the draft available to the newspaper, such a situation should exist if a more deadly corona variant occurs in a region or if the regional health system is at risk of being overloaded due to the high number of infections.

There is no specific threshold.

The federal states would therefore have a lot of leeway.

The rules would then be:

• A

  mask requirement

   in public spaces.

• Distance requirements

  and

  hygiene concepts

  , primarily

  indoors.

• Access restrictions

  for places open to the public, with

  2G, 3G

   or similar.

While the new rules are being decided, the corona numbers in Germany are rising again.

(md with AFP)