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Green health expert Janosch Dahmen: "The pandemic may be out of the mind of some, but it has not disappeared from our lives."
Photo: Kay Nietfeld / dpa
Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) has received an objection from the green coalition partner for his initiative to end the obligation to wear corona masks on buses, trains and planes.
"It would be unreasonable to lift the mask requirement on public transport right now," said Green health expert Janosch Dahmen of the German Press Agency.
"We need protective masks on the train and bus for a safe summer." Dahmen also referred to the crowding in many vehicles.
»The pandemic may be out of the mind of some, but it has not disappeared from our lives.«
On Monday, two EU authorities relaxed their recommendations for air traffic.
The aviation security agency EASA and the EU health authority ECDC withdrew the general recommendation for the mandatory wearing of masks in airports and airplanes.
If masks are compulsory in public transport at the departure or destination, this should also continue to apply in the machines.
Dahmen said he could not see any contradiction between European and national requirements.
"The European recommendations expressly include a national mask requirement." The current pandemic situation gives no reason for premature changes to the Infection Protection Act.
In view of the new EU recommendations, Wissing had said that one should proceed uniformly throughout Europe and lift the mask requirement, especially in air traffic.
He sees the same need for adjustment for buses and trains.
The nationwide mask requirement on airplanes and long-distance trains is stipulated in the Infection Protection Act until September 23rd.
Masks are also compulsory in local transport with buses and trains, which are stipulated by the respective federal states.
»Wrong signals at the wrong time«
On request, the Ministry of Transport announced that it would now approach the Ministry of Health - with a view to the possibility provided for in the law of suspending the obligation to wear masks on airplanes and long-distance trains by means of a Federal Government regulation with the approval of the Bundesrat.
The transport industry advocates an end to the mask requirement - especially since it no longer applies at events or in restaurants and shops.
The chair of the state transport ministers, Bremen's Senator Maike Schaefer (Greens), criticized Wissing's initiative as "wrong signals at the wrong time".
She pointed to the approaching start of the planned €9 monthly tickets in June, July and August for buses and trains, which could lead to overcrowding on certain routes.
"I think it would be counterproductive to abolish the mask requirement at that point."
KBV for the end of the mask requirement and vaccination centers
The National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) is also in favor of an end to the mask requirement.
KBV boss Andreas Gassen justified this in an interview with the Düsseldorf "Rheinische Post" with the high level of immunity in the population.
For most citizens, the pandemic is “over,” Gassen said.
According to the Robert Koch Institute, there are officially 25 million people who have recovered.
"In fact, there are probably two or three times as many," Gassen said.
"This gives us a high level of immunity among the population." Nationwide, there are also only 1,000 corona patients in intensive care units, almost 400 of them on ventilation.
Gassen is therefore calling for an end to the mask requirement, which is currently still in force on buses, trains and planes.
Gassen added that the mask requirement on airplanes, for example, was not medically required.
"In airplane cabins, the air is changed every four minutes."
The KBV boss also called for the vaccination centers to be closed.
"Vaccination centers are expensive and logistically demanding, the practices can currently manage the vaccination on their own without any problems." All that is necessary is a concept in order to be able to open them again if necessary.
General mask requirements for events or when shopping had been eliminated in large parts of Germany since the beginning of April.
Regardless of government regulations, there are many places, such as in cultural institutions, but further protection rules with mask requirements.
mfh/dpa/AFP
