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Petra Grimm-Benne chaired the conference of health ministers in Hamburg
Photo: Ronny Hartmann / dpa
Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach probably has busy days ahead of him.
The Federal Government’s Committee of Experts on the Corona Pandemic has just issued a mediocre certificate for the previous corona protection measures, when the health ministers of the federal states are already calling for a speedy amendment to the Infection Protection Act.
The unanimous decision of the conference of health ministers, which is available to SPIEGEL, calls for extensive state powers, among other things.
"You always have to remember that the Bundesrat still has to do this and we want to be included this time," said Saxony-Anhalt's Health Minister Petra Grimm-Benne, chairing the conference in Hamburg.
In addition to basic measures such as the possible obligation to wear masks
and
distance
requirements indoors, the heads of departments of the federal states are
also demanding the possibility of
compulsory testing
.
Corona tests should be able to be ordered in facilities with vulnerable people, in schools or daycare centers.
Hygiene concepts
should also be
required.
In the event of an unfavorable development of the corona pandemic,
access restrictions
should also be enacted and upper limits for
persons
set.
"It is very important for us that we do not want any further closures," said Grimm-Benne.
This applies to schools and daycare centers as well as to events.
"Nevertheless, these instruments for fighting the pandemic must also be available in the worst-case scenario," the decision says.
The prerequisite for this is that the health system is about to be overloaded or has already occurred.
The health ministers also called on all relevant bodies to quickly make recommendations for further
booster vaccinations
.
"The vaccination campaign in the fall will only be successful if it is ensured that everyone who wants to be vaccinated can be given a vaccination nationwide, either by the resident physicians or additionally by vaccination centers or vaccination centers," the decision says.
In addition, the decision asks the federal government to “
further expand the existing
surveillance system and to implement
fully digitized reporting channels
.” This is necessary in order to be able to tailor the measures for the coming autumn and winter “as specifically as possible to the respective risk of overloading the healthcare system «.
The resolution also requires sufficient
procurement and stockpiling of drugs
for the treatment of Covid-19 and the upgrading of the "supply systems in the outpatient and inpatient health and care sector as well as for integration assistance for the expected next wave." This also included
incentives for recruiting and - bond
.
Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach spoke at the press conference of the Ministry of Health at noon that he had worked intensively with Justice Minister Marco Buschmann on new proposals for the Infection Protection Act immediately after receiving the report.
Among other things, it was decided to better protect vulnerable groups in nursing homes.
It was also about where and when masks should be worn and where access restrictions would be necessary.
The citizen can expect that the authorities are well prepared, because: "The summer wave is dangerous and will not end by itself."
Representatives of the Greens and SPD had recently pushed for the possibility of renewed restrictions such as the obligation to wear masks and hygiene concepts to be laid down in a new infection protection law.
However, the FDP wanted to wait for the opinion of the Advisory Council before the consultations.
svs/cte/dpa
