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Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) warns of the infection process in autumn
Photo: FILIP SINGER / EPA
The new version of the Infection Protection Act finds critics and supporters across party lines.
The CDU health expert Erwin Rüddel has accused Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) of scaremongering because of the federal government's new corona protection concept.
"The path we have taken is a mistake," said the member of the Bundestag on Monday on Deutschlandfunk.
Basic immunization was achieved in the summer, which is why, in his opinion, there will be a “relatively relaxed corona autumn and winter”.
Lauterbach unsettles the population with his course.
"I'm surprised that the FDP is also participating in this panic mode."
The draft by Lauterbach and Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann (FDP) provides that the federal states can make masks compulsory again in publicly accessible interiors from October.
Nationwide, masks should continue to be compulsory on long-distance trains and planes, as well as in hospitals and care facilities.
There is a lot of criticism of the plan to waive the mask requirement in restaurants and at events if the corona vaccination was not more than three months ago.
Schwesig is in favor of the mask
Rüddel expressed his conviction that there would be "significant changes" to this draft in the course of the parliamentary deliberations.
"I don't understand that you should be vaccinated every three months," said the CDU politician.
"In all other European countries, planning for the Corona winter is handled differently."
Party colleague and Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Manuela Schwesig, recognizes the need for the newly created rules.
"The mask is the mildest way to protect against corona," said Schwesig.
At the moment, the mask requirement in public transport and in specially protected areas is sufficient.
But: “If the corona numbers are increasing or the virus variants are more aggressive, a mask requirement indoors would be better than closures.”
However, Schwesig demands that the federal government discuss the future infection protection law together with the prime minister.
There is a regular exchange at the level of the health ministers, which is right, the SPD politician told the editorial network Germany (RND).
“But I think it is necessary for the heads of government to discuss this as well.” She warned that the law must also be passed by the Bundesrat.
And in their opinion, it should then be implemented as uniformly as possible.
Kubicki calls for revision of the Infection Protection Act
Further criticism, however, comes from the ranks of the governing party FDP.
Bundestag Vice-President Wolfgang Kubicki warned in the "Welt" that the proposal of his party colleague Buschmann required "some revisions in the further deliberations".
This applies above all to the mask requirements, which he believes are too far-reaching: “It is not clear to me why, for example, a mask requirement can be imposed outdoors.”
Kubicki said he expects the design to change.
"Marco Buschmann knows that the FDP parliamentary group is very self-confident." MP Frank Schäffler also called for "urgent" improvements in the paper.
He considers “the possibility of a nationwide hotspot regulation to be a step backwards”.
The possibility of compulsory masks in schools is also a nuisance.
He will make his approval "depending on further changes," said Schäffler.
His parliamentary colleague Christoph Hoffmann said, “I am sure that the Infection Protection Act will not find a majority in its current form.”
muk/dpa
