New measures to combat the pandemic were decided by the German government on Friday, after consulting with the prime ministers of the L κραnder.
The main change concerns catering and entertainment, where the free access of those who have not yet done the third, “booster” dose of the vaccine is restricted. To visit restaurants, cafes, bars or pubs they must present, together with the vaccination certificate, a negative test (regulation 2G-Plus). Simply put, this means that more customer access ratings are introduced, for example in a restaurant: whoever has done all three doses of the vaccine enters with the presentation of the vaccination certificate. Anyone who has taken only two doses, but not the third “booster” dose, needs an additional negative test. Anyone who has not been vaccinated is barred from entering, even if they have a negative test. It is noted that clubs and discos remain closed, as was the case until today.
“It is a strict but necessary measure, because it ensures better control of the pandemic than we have today,” said Chancellor Olaf Soltz shortly after meeting with the prime ministers of the L .nder. However, there is no shortage of criticism before the measures are well announced: on Friday night, the Prime Minister of Bavaria, Markus Zender, stated that he was “very cautious” about the new 2G-Plus regulation and therefore instructed the Bavarian Minister of Health ” to examine whether the application of the measure makes sense “. In the same vein, Saxony’s Prime Minister Rainer Hazelhoff has made it clear that he will not implement the regulation, as “the Delta mutation is still prevalent in Saxony and therefore no additional measures are needed at this time.”
Postponement for compulsory vaccination
The proposal for compulsory vaccination, either for everyone or for specific groups of the population, does not seem to find the necessary majority yet. It is alleged that the protests came mainly from the Liberal Party (FDP). However, in the final announcement on Friday, the “necessity” of the mandatory vaccination is recognized and it is mentioned that “soon” a timetable for the implementation of the measure will be presented.
But the proposal for further restrictions on social contacts did not pass. As a result, the rules that apply today are extended: one vaccinated person can meet a maximum of ten people, while the unvaccinated person is only allowed to meet those who live in the same household plus two other people. Speaking to reporters, Chancellor Olaf Soltz thanked the people for complying with the restrictive measures during the holidays. As he put it, “Germany was certainly one of the European countries with the strictest measures to restrict social contacts, but they did pay off, as the epidemiological picture proves.” He clarified, however, that in the coming days a significant increase in cases is expected due to the highly contagious “Omicron mutation” and that is why new measures are being taken. He once again called for more vaccinations, noting that “it is the best protection against the Omicron mutation.”
The provisions for quarantine are relaxed
But while the measures for catering are becoming stricter, at the same time it “loosens” the legal framework for compulsory quarantine. Anyone who has had all three doses of the vaccine and comes in “contact” with a case does not even need to be quarantined, as has been the case to date. The rest will have to be quarantined for ten days (instead of fourteen, which was the rule until now), which can even be shortened to seven days by showing a negative test. This relaxation is considered necessary to ensure the smooth operation of critical state infrastructure – for example in the health system, the police or the fire brigade – even in times of pandemic. The Social Democrat Prime Minister of Lower Saxony, Stephen Weil, speaks of a “correct and pragmatic solution”.
DW – Giannis Papadimitriou
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