Infection Protection Act: Lauterbach wants to avert “patchwork” – why exactly the opposite is threatening

Created: 08/05/2022, 14:12

By: Felix Durach

Corona is far from over.

But the new infection protection law agreed by the traffic light coalition also triggers skepticism.

Doctors and teachers are critical.

Berlin – The corona pandemic is entering its third winter.

As in previous winters, experts expect a seasonal increase in corona infections.

To ensure that Germany is prepared for all eventualities, Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann (FDP) and Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) presented the new corona rules for winter 2022 on August 3rd.

As expected, it is a compromise solution: in recent months, Buschmann has insisted that restrictions on freedom must be well justified.

Lauterbach has been a cautious warning since the beginning of the pandemic.

When the regulations were presented, Buschmann emphasized that the negotiations on the measures were “collegial, discreet and result-oriented”.

The result: school closures, curfews and lockdowns should be avoided at the insistence of the FDP.

To this end, the mask requirement is to be expanded again and the countries are to be provided with instruments to be able to react to worsening developments.

The first criticism followed promptly – also from Bavaria.

A cross-party compromise: Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (left) and Health Minister Karl Lauterbach have agreed on new corona rules for the winter.

© Annette Riedl/dpa

New Corona regulations: Lauterbach wants to avoid a patchwork quilt – Streeck is already criticizing

Putting decision-making power in the hands of the federal states has led to the emergence of so-called “patchwork quilts” in Germany in recent winters.

Corona regulations sometimes differed so greatly between the individual federal states that it was difficult for citizens to understand which regulations apply at their current place of residence.

With the rules that have just been decided for winter 2022, however, the formation of patchwork quilts should be avoided, at least according to the Minister of Health.

"I don't hope that there will be a patchwork quilt, we are working with the countries to ensure that they use the maximum that we offer," Lauterbach explained to the RTL television station on August 3.

The virologist Hendrik Streeck, on the other hand, criticized Lauterbach's Corona plan: The 44-year-old warned the television station Welt that the past winters would not be repeated in view of the various measures in the individual federal states.

Confusion about compulsory masks in schools – “absolutely incomprehensible”

In order to prevent the creation of a patchwork quilt, Streeck called for clear guidelines, especially with a view to measures such as the obligation to wear masks in schools.

The new regulations give the federal states a free hand when they want to introduce a mask requirement for schoolchildren - but then only from the 5th grade.

Primary schools are exempt from the rule.

Masks are not compulsory here.

Uniform regulations would only arise here if all countries assessed the current infection situation in the same way.

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Criticism of these guidelines also comes from the German teachers' association.

"However, it is absolutely incomprehensible why in the same case, i.e. to maintain school operations, a mask requirement cannot be ordered at primary schools," said President Heinz-Peter Meidinger to the

The decision on whether masks are compulsory in schools is up to the federal states in winter.

Primary schools are generally exempt from an induction.

© Marijan Murat/dpa

Corona regulations in winter: patchwork quilt even if masks are compulsory in local transport?

There are also stark differences between the countries when it comes to local public transport.

Here, the countries can also decide individually whether to introduce a mask requirement.

To top it all off, the Corona rules stipulate a nationwide mandatory mask requirement for long-distance transport.

From October 1st, before a journey with Deutsche Bahn, you have to find out which mask regulations apply at the start and destination in public transport.

But the inconsistencies in the mask requirement do not end here either.

The regulations laid down by the federal government provide for an exception for citizens whose last vaccination or recovery was no longer than three months ago.

This regulation would therefore apply to visiting restaurants and cultural institutions in the countries.

However, it is currently still unclear how these exemptions are to be controlled.

"If, for example, the obligation to wear a mask should be differentiated according to whether the last vaccination was three or four months ago, then I wonder how that should work in everyday life," Ulrich Weigelt, chairman of the General Practitioners' Association, is surprised to hear from the

.

“It is obvious that such regulations will not contribute to acceptance among the population.

When in doubt, you don’t have to regulate everything down to the last detail by law.”

Corona virus: Doctors President calls for uniform measures for the winter

Criticism of the new regulations, some of which are unclear, also comes from the German Medical Society.

"It is important that in the future uniform measures will be taken throughout Germany if certain, clearly defined criteria are met," said Doctor President Klaus Reinhart to the

.

The new regulations would not specify how to react in the event of an impending overload of the health system.

The resolution also does not provide for clear limit values.

The measures will take effect from October 1, 2022 until spring 2023. Then it will be seen whether Germany will become a patchwork quilt again.