"Don't lose patience": Lauterbach warns Germany of the Corona winter wave

Created: 11/25/2022, 3:33 p.m

By: Anna Lorenz

Winter and the next Christmas festival in times of the corona pandemic are approaching.

Lauterbach sees opportunities for relaxation - after a phase "where it will be more difficult".

Berlin – The good news first: This year there will probably be no special regulations on the public holidays.

When dealing with the corona virus, citizens nationwide are not allowed to do more, but also not less than in the past few weeks.

Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) sees it as premature to put any concerns completely to the wind in view of a possible corona winter wave - even if he is optimistic about the future.

Corona winter wave at Christmas – “Please don’t lose patience now”

According to Lauterbach, the holidays should be secured for older and previously ill people.

"Let's not lose patience now, please," warned the SPD politician on Thursday (November 24) in the Bundestag.

“We still have a few months here where it will be more difficult.

Then we can deal with it differently.”

There are indications that the virus only has a small chance of becoming more contagious through mutations.

"If there are no more breakthrough innovations caused by the virus, then we will actually see opportunities to deal with the virus in a completely different way next year."

According to Lauterbach, care is required for the time being.

The minister also spoke out in favor of maintaining an obligation to isolate.

Various federal states, including Bavaria, have already abolished the obligation to quarantine.

"Please don't let us down now, and neither do those who depend on our help," the SPD politician asked the population.

Vulnerable groups of people should not be forced to be “in fear” at work.

Corona virus: countries want to agree on the end of the mask requirement in public transport

Lauterbach also commented on the end of the mask requirement in local public transport.

While wearing an FFP2 mask on long-distance trains and buses is valid until April 7, 2023 according to the Infection Protection Act, the federal states have been pushing for new regulations in public transport for a long time.

Legislative competence does not lie with the federal government.

That is why the transport ministers of the federal states want to discuss a coordinated end to the mask requirement on buses and trains on Tuesday (November 29).

Bremen's Senator Maike Schaefer, who will chair the meeting, said at the request of

that her goal was "that the federal states agree on a uniform approach here." An application to abolish the mask requirement by March 2023 had already been submitted.

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"Now there's a bidding war here: which country can relax first?

That's a bit populist," Lauterbach complained on

.

Efforts to abolish the obligation to wear masks in the near future are reckless in view of the “winter wave” that he believes can be expected.

However, the minister's warnings about the increase in infections in winter have faced some criticism.

Schaefer also emphasized that all measures and easing must be “subject to the pandemic situation permitting it.” However, it is currently difficult to assess this: Since many infected people do not have a PCR test done, the current numbers could indicate a falling trend depict, be incomplete.