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Karl Lauterbach
Photo: Michael Kappeler / dpa
The next federal-state meeting is on the program today, Friday.
Central question: What can be done against the rapid spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus?
Before the appointment, Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach spoke out in favor of stricter contact restrictions.
At RTL Direkt he says: »We have to limit the contacts again, there is a particular consideration that we want in the interior of the restaurant, that we want even more security there and that you can only enter there if you have been vaccinated and tested twice is.
Only those who have been boosted can get in that way. «Gastronomy is a problem area, where you often sit for hours without a mask.
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His demand is at least partially reflected in the plans of the federal and state governments.
Nationwide and regardless of the incidence, visits to restaurants, cafes and similar facilities for vaccinated and convalescent people should only be possible with a daily test or proof of a booster vaccination.
So it is according to AFP information from Thursday in the draft for the federal-state peak meeting on Friday.
January 15th is named as a possible date for the regulation.
The proposed resolution indicates that the Omikron variant will soon be "dominant across the board" in Germany as well.
This means that a significant increase in the number of cases can be expected.
According to the Federal Government's Expert Council, this could lead to a high burden on hospitals.
"High numbers of infections can also lead to staff failures due to illness and quarantine," said the draft resolution for the video conference between Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the heads of government of the federal states.
Concern for the critical infrastructure
"In the order of magnitude that can be expected at Omikron, this can limit the functionality of the critical infrastructure." In addition to the healthcare system, this also includes the police, fire brigade and energy suppliers.
But problems are also possible in the overall economy.
In general, contact persons with booster vaccinations should therefore be excluded from quarantine from now on.
For the rest, isolation in the event of infection or quarantine in the event of contact with infected people should from now on generally end after ten days.
But it is also possible to have a "free test" after seven days.
It is emphasized here that the "challenges for the critical infrastructure" should be taken into account.
For employees in hospitals and nursing homes, isolation can be terminated after seven days by a PCR test after infection.
Those affected must be free of symptoms 48 hours beforehand.
This regulation is intended to protect particularly vulnerable people in the facilities.
Special regulation for school children
A special rule should apply to schoolchildren and children in care facilities.
As a contact person, the quarantine can be ended after five days with a PCR test or a rapid antigen test.
Exceptions from the quarantine are also possible "with an existing high level of protection (such as daily tests, mask requirement, etc.)".
The draft resolution also refers to the existing obligation to work from home.
The federal and state governments want to call for greater use of these in the coming weeks.
In addition, the wearing of FFP2 masks is "strongly recommended" because of the higher protection when shopping and in local and long-distance public transport.
In order not to let the infection numbers explode, the federal and state governments want to continue the vaccination campaign "at high pressure".
In the draft resolution you refer to the fact that the booster vaccination offers "the best immune protection against the Omikron variant".
jok / Reuters
