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Employee at a vaccination center in Berlin
Photo: Michele Tantussi / REUTERS
The Federal Government's Expert Council met for a video session on Tuesday. According to SPIEGEL information, the 19 experts reassured themselves, together with Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, of their assessment of the corona situation. Accordingly, they discussed, for example, the possibilities of shortening the quarantine, the dangers of the Omikron variant and the topic of booster vaccinations. The consensus was apparently that in future people should only be considered vaccinated if they have also received the third vaccination. The committee did not initially make a decision.
"We cannot yet say whether the measures have worked over Christmas because we will only see the development of the infections in the coming days," said Stefan Sternberg, district administrator of the Ludwigslust-Parchim district in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, who is a member of the committee.
Instead, the Council wants to meet again on Wednesday or Thursday.
Then there will also be a recommendation, said Sternberg.
His opinion on the seriousness of the situation has not changed: At this point in time, it is not possible to say whether the worst-case scenario of a paralyzed infrastructure will actually occur.
Numbers are not very reliable
Most recently, the number of registered new corona infections in Germany rose again. However, the figures are considered unreliable because not all information is available after the Christmas holidays and the turn of the year. It is possible that many cases are currently not recorded due to closed or understaffed test stations and health authorities. According to the Robert Koch Institute, the nationwide incidence on Tuesday was 239.9.
The question currently being debated is whether quarantine and isolation times should be shortened in view of the highly contagious Omikron variant.
The background to this is fears that an excessive number of contacts could otherwise lead to staff shortages at the police, fire brigade or in hospitals.
One speaks of quarantine when it is not certain whether a person has been infected, for example through contact with an infected person.
Isolation takes place when the coronavirus has been detected with a PCR test.
RKI is working on a new design
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) is currently working on a draft for new rules on quarantine and isolation times.
These could, for example, be adapted for certain occupational groups.
In principle, it would be possible to shorten the previous deadlines.
However, this would require a negative PCR test at the end of the isolation or quarantine.
The council, consisting of 19 experts, was set up by the new federal government (read more about the individual members of the body here).
The group presented an initial statement on December 19, recommending, among other things, "timely" contact restrictions.
However, the Council did not explain what this should look like in practice.
In any case, the measures must be decided by the federal government and the states.
There will be another meeting of Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Health Minister Lauterbach with the Prime Ministers on Friday.
mfh / chs