Discussion about planned easing of corona quarantine

Created: 03/31/2022, 16:06

"Distance protects" is written on tables in the outdoor area of ​​a restaurant on Frankfurt's Römerberg.

© Frank Rumpenhorst/dpa

In the fight against the pandemic, politicians are currently making several adjustments.

From Sunday, many everyday restrictions will no longer apply, and the quarantine will also be readjusted.

The echo is mixed.

Berlin – In the Corona crisis, the quarantine rules are being relaxed – also to avoid mass staff shortages when the number of infections is high.

According to a proposal by the Federal Ministry of Health and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the isolation for infected people and for contact persons of infected people could be reduced to five days and no longer strictly managed.

The National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) welcomed the plans, which the federal states can initially comment on.

However, sharp warnings came from patient advocates.

According to the ministry, new rules could then come in the next week.

KBV CEO Andreas Gassen told the German Press Agency on Thursday: "The omicron wave brings with it a lot of infections, but most of them are mild." Against this background, the proposal for new quarantine rules comes at the right time.

"Otherwise we would run the risk that important infrastructure in Germany would be paralysed."

Tactics are "highly dangerous"

The German Foundation for Patient Protection called it worrying that staff shortages fueled the political discussion.

"Such tactics are highly dangerous for sick people, those in need of care and vulnerable people," said board member Eugen Brysch of the dpa.

Even a low viral load in caregivers and supporters has fatal consequences for the vulnerable group.

"The shortening of the quarantine period in geriatric care must not become Russian roulette for people in need."

The head of the German Hospital Society, Gerald Gaß, told the dpa: "If it is scientifically comprehensible and harmless to health, shortening the quarantine and isolation time is definitely right." Everything must be done to reduce failures in the critical infrastructure .

At the same time, the main interest is the health of patients and employees.

Bavaria's Health Minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU) told the "Münchner Merkur" (Friday) that "employees who are clinically healthy and who are not at risk of infection should be exempted from isolation, at least in the event of an extreme shortage of staff in the hospitals".

Shortened quarantine

According to the proposal sent by the ministry to the federal states, the separations should generally be shortened.

So far, they have usually lasted ten days and can be ended with a negative test after seven days.

A formal order from the health department, which is often no longer given, should be omitted in the future.

Specifically, if you are infected yourself, isolation could last five days in the future.

It should be recommended to voluntarily reduce contacts and - starting after five days - to carry out repeated tests or self-tests.

"No strict isolation" should be specified, as stated in a concept scheme available to the dpa.

According to the proposal, the quarantine for contact persons of infected people should also last five days in the future and no longer has to be a “strict quarantine”.

It should be recommended to voluntarily reduce contacts and test yourself daily.

The five-day rule should therefore also apply to employees in medical facilities and care.

In order to end isolation because of an infection, the proposal states that one must be symptom-free for 48 hours beforehand.

In addition, you should have to present a negative test, which can be taken on the fifth day at the earliest.

There are still fears

Shortly before the elimination of most everyday requirements in Germany, there are further discussions.

The Green health politician Janosch Dahmen said on RTL / ntv that one had to fear that the infection of many people would be accelerated when the measures ended.

"Because then the virus simply has it much easier to spread." The Easter holidays could also fuel the infection process.

"And in combination, that can mean that we're extending this wave a bit, delaying it a bit more."

more on the subject

Lauterbach is calling on countries to further contain the corona

20 million infections - trouble because of relaxation

Minister Hoch wants to relax the corona rules two weeks later

According to the amended Infection Protection Act, the federal states will only be able to set a few general protective requirements from this Sunday, for example on masks in clinics, nursing homes, buses and trains, as well as tests in schools, for example.

They can impose further requirements, including mask requirements in shops or schools, for example, in regional hotspots if the state parliament determines that there is an impending critical corona situation.

Of the 16 states, only Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Hamburg are making use of this for the time being.

In Berlin, most of the previous restrictions should expire on Thursday.

dpa