Enlarge image
Thuringian Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow: Dissatisfied with the Infection Protection Act
Photo: Martin Schutt / dpa
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) and Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) have hardly presented the draft of the new Infection Protection Act when criticism is already stirring in the federal states.
The state governments in Baden-Württemberg and Thuringia are disappointed with the result.
He wondered what Lauterbach could actually do against the FDP, said Thuringia's Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left).
The remains of the current Infection Protection Act have obviously been extended.
There are only openings for the countries in special situations.
This requires a resolution by the state parliament - "while the federal government secures general authorization." The draft contains back doors and unacceptable blanket powers in favor of the federal government, explained Ramelow.
"That doesn't create any new trust between the federal government and the states."
The left sees the FDP as the main reason for the failure.
"Everything is being blocked by an FDP that no longer has regional competence itself." The federal states have degenerated into accessories in the game, as they did when the previous law was passed, says Ramelow, who is also President of the Federal Council.
The government in Baden-Württemberg made a similar statement: "We would have hoped for more from the draft, since the decisive means, namely an extensive toolbox for the federal states, is not provided," said Health Minister Manne Lucha (Greens) of the dpa news agency in Stuttgart .
The draft falls short of the country's expectations.
Lucha criticized that it was not possible to introduce so-called 2G or 3G restrictions or contact restrictions in private and public spaces in extreme cases when the infection situation worsened.
The minister also asked whether it would make sense to allow exceptions to a possible mask requirement indoors for vaccinated and recovered people if they could also be contagious.
"We hope that we won't need anything besides basic measures next autumn and winter, but in case of an emergency we have to be able to act quickly and without hesitation," said Lucha.
The draft for the Infection Protection Act provides that the federal states may again impose mask requirements from October to protect against an autumn corona wave.
A mask requirement on buses, trains and planes should continue to apply nationwide, as well as a new requirement for masks and tests in hospitals and care facilities.
sog/stw/dpa
