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Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach is committed to freedom
Photo: IMAGO/Christian Spicker
Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach has again defended the end of many protective requirements and called on the federal states to implement the new legal basis.
"We cannot continue to limit the liberties of the entire population just because ten percent of those over 60 are not ready to be vaccinated," said the SPD politician in the evening in the ARD "Report from Berlin".
The protective measures did not expire now, but continued for two weeks until April 2nd, explained Lauterbach.
It could be that the number of cases would then be more stable or fall – if not, conditions in “hotspots” could even be tightened.
The minister admitted that the federal government had made the legislative changes for the first time without involving the federal states.
But he appealed to the countries not to react coldly.
»Now nobody is allowed to play the offended liverwurst and not make themselves a hotspot where it is necessary.«
Lauterbach said it was not in dispute with Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) that an entire federal state could also be a hotspot.
»If a federal state now has a large number of hotspots, then the federal state is made up of hotspots.«
The SPD politician called on unvaccinated older people in particular to be vaccinated in view of the high number of infections.
"You're at the highest risk."
He again campaigned for a general obligation to vaccinate and for the two drafts in the Bundestag for compulsory vaccination from the age of 18 and from the age of 50 to be merged.
It should also be spoken to the Union and it is important to stick together “out of reasons of state”.
kfr/dpa