After Söder advance: mask requirement falls in five other federal states

Created: 10/01/2023 22:09

In December, he spoke out against the obligation to wear masks on trains: CSU boss Markus Söder (archive image) © IMAGO / Thomas Vonier

The mask requirement in Germany falls in five other federal states.

This also increases the pressure on long-distance transport, which is regulated by the federal government.

Berlin – Anyone who will be traveling by train in Germany in the future will have to wear a mask in fewer and fewer places.

The mask requirement in local public transport is now also to be abolished in Berlin, Brandenburg, Thuringia, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Saxony.

In Saxony, January 16 is the day.

Berlin, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania will follow on February 2nd, Thuringia on February 3rd.

The state governments announced this on Tuesday.

Corona: Thuringia also overturns the obligation to isolate

In three federal states, the mask is no longer mandatory in local public transport: in Bavaria, Saxony-Anhalt and also in Schleswig-Holstein since New Year's Day.

"It is difficult to understand why there is a mask requirement on the train but not on the plane," said Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder in November.

In all these countries, the Union governs.

Now SPD and Left-led federal states are following suit.

In Thuringia, the corona isolation obligation will then no longer apply.

“Thuringia has again been the federal state with the lowest seven-day incidence for a few days.

The number of hospitalizations and the situation in the intensive care units has been stable in the low range for weeks," explained Health Minister Heike Werner (left).

On Tuesday, the seven-day incidence in Thuringia was 74.3 - nationwide the value was 136.6.

Mask requirement on buses and trains: pressure on long-distance traffic rule is growing

In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, this is to be canceled about four weeks after the end of the mask requirement in local transport.

An exact date was not set in the cabinet meeting because coordination with other federal states was still ongoing, said a spokesman for Health Minister Stefanie Drese (SPD).

The mask requirement in medical practices and hospitals therefore continues to apply.

This is regulated by the federal government.

The Federal Infection Protection Act initially applies until April 7th.

According to Health Minister Petra Köpping (SPD), the cabinet in Saxony also agreed to end the obligation to wear masks on buses and trains, but the obligation to isolate remains.

In Berlin, the Senate, in consultation with Brandenburg, decided to bring the end of the mask requirement forward - and not to keep it until at least mid-February.

This also increases the pressure on long-distance transport, which is regulated by the federal government.

If you drive the ICE in Germany, you still have to wear a mask.

The reason for this is the responsibility of the federal government.

And that's where Health Minister Karl Lauterbach is in charge.

The SPD politician wants to stick to the mask requirement in long-distance transport at least until the Infection Protection Act expires on April 7, 2023.