Corona Zoff about the hotspot rule: Lauterbach irons off state demands – but the law is “not used enough”

Created: 03/29/2022, 05:18

By: Florian Naumann, Linus Prien

Minister Karl Lauterbach in a press statement (archive photo).

© Imago

The health ministers of the federal states will discuss the hotspot rule with Karl Lauterbach on Monday.

The FDP parliamentary group leader in the Bundestag warns of a “general hotspot.”

Update from March 28, 3:48 p.m .:

Karl Lauterbach appears in front of the press after a – in his words – “conflict-laden” meeting with the health ministers of the federal states.

The applications of several federal states to extend the Corona transitional regulations were rejected - an extension by four weeks was requested (

).

"I have once again expressly asked the countries to use the hotspot rule," he emphasized.

But that was not an accusation.

At the same time, the minister made it clear that the hotspot rule was not limited to individual municipalities.

Entire federal states or city states such as Hamburg or Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania could also be hotspots.

Bavaria, for example, wants to do without it*.

According to Lauterbach, the regulation on the term "hotspot" could also raise awareness among the population.

The slogan of the hour is to use the new measures instead of complaining about the rules that no longer exist, said the minister.

National rules are no longer possible after the end of the epidemic situation.

Lauterbach referred to Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann (FDP), according to whose assessment a national mask requirement is not legally possible.

In this respect, he was not able to "negotiate" such a solution - however, he would have considered such a measure to be sensible, admitted Lauterbach.

Also according to the expert council *, a national overload due to the corona pandemic is currently not to be expected.

However, the Minister of Health also emphasized that tightening is possible even if there is an “imminent overload”.

A hotspot does not have to meet an entire catalog of criteria.

"In my view, we have a good law that is underused," he said.

Lauterbach also warned against premature relaxation.

There is currently no prospect of a rapid change in the corona situation.

"We have to do a lot more," he stressed.

Update from March 28, 3:08 p.m .:

Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach again promoted the planned corona hotspot rule before the conference of health ministers.

On Monday in Berlin, the SPD politician referred to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Hamburg, which had announced that the rule would be applied.

He will inform his colleagues in the federal states and provide "assistance" on how this can also be used in other federal states.

"Now this is the point where we all have to stick together and where we have to think about how we can use the hotspot rule in a way that sends a clear signal to the population that the pandemic is not over yet." , said Lauterbach.

The aim is to use the regulation to avert such an overload in regions where medical care may be overloaded before it is too late, he said.

From next Saturday, mask requirements indoors will only be possible to a limited extent, for example in clinics or nursing homes.

2G or 3G rules, masks in shops or schools can only be ordered regionally if the respective state parliament determines a particularly critical corona situation there.

The Minister of Health had already mentioned four criteria by which an impending overload of clinic capacities can be determined as a prerequisite for a hotspot - for example if clinics have to cancel planned interventions or have to transfer patients to other houses.

Corona showdown: State demands on Lauterbach leaked – hard rules four weeks longer?

Preliminary report: Berlin – The Corona* transitional rules will expire on April 2nd – after that, more than “basic protection” is only possible in “hotspots”*.

The situation is unclear: a number of countries have not yet decided which measures should then apply.

In many places there are also doubts about the legal certainty of the planned hotspot rule.

In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, for example, the entire state is to be considered a hotspot by the end of April, and Hamburg is planning a similar regulation.

A conference of health ministers is to remedy the situation on Monday.

But Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) * threatens a difficult course: The FDP warns in advance of "general" hotspots.

A draft resolution has already been leaked.

Corona rules in Germany: Lauterbach wants to tighten hotspot rules - FDP is already warning

FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr called on the states to only use the hotspot rule in the Infection Protection Act in individual cities or municipalities.

"The hotspot solution is subject to strict requirements and must clearly not be applied across the board," said the chairman of the FDP parliamentary group in the newspapers of the Funke media group on Monday.

He called on the federal states to "use the new legal framework without exploiting it".

At the conference of health ministers, he wanted to “inform the health ministers of the federal states what, in my opinion, are the criteria according to which the federal states can determine the hotspots,” Lauterbach announced on Sunday on the Bild TV channel.

Recently, even the Greens had expressed doubts about the traffic light plans.

After the conference, Lauterbach wants to speak to the press.

Corona measures dispute: country demands leaked – extend rules by four weeks?

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has received the draft resolution of the Conference of Health Ministers.

According to the report, the countries want to extend the transitional regulations by at least four weeks.

Wearing masks indoors, 2G/3G regulations in restaurants and bars and upper limits for participants at events would then apply until at least May.

In addition, according to the draft decision, the health ministers of the federal states want a specific definition of a hotspot.

This is important in order to prevent ambiguities and to be able to act.

It should be made clear whether an entire federal state can also be a hotspot.