At a conference call, the Executive Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU), her likely successor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the prime ministers of the federal states discuss the corona situation. According to media reports, Scholz has spoken out in favor of a general compulsory vaccination. He spoke out in favor of cross-faction in the Bundestag and implementation by the end of February, reports Reuters, citing participant information. According to the news agency, Scholz also spoke out in favor of introducing a 2-G obligation in retail.
Before the deliberations, the Union-led states and Baden-Württemberg pushed for concrete minimum resolutions and agreed on a catalog of demands with various protective measures.
Unvaccinated people should therefore only be allowed to meet a maximum of five people from a maximum of two households in the future. Vaccinated, convalescent and children under the age of twelve are not included in the total number of people. Spouses, civil partners and partners in a cohabiting relationship would be considered as one household, even if they did not have a common place of residence. Clubs and discos should therefore be closed. At major events, the capacity should only be used to a third.
Schleswig-Holstein wants to make these rules dependent on incidences. In the northern federal state, the number of infections is significantly lower than in Saxony or Bavaria, for example. In some cases, the requirements already apply in individual countries or regions, such as capacity restrictions at events.
In the event that the Bundestag does not determine the epidemic situation of national scope again, the Union-led states ask the federal government to amend the Infection Protection Act by December 10th so that certain measures are fully available to them beyond December 15th. In areas with an extremely high seven-day incidence, it should be possible to place restrictions in excess of the minimum measures mentioned.
In addition, the states of the Union and Baden-Württemberg ask the federal government to initiate the preparation of a general compulsory health insurance policy as soon as possible. The facility-related vaccination obligation in nursing homes and hospitals to protect particularly vulnerable people, which was decided on in the federal-state round on November 18, must come into force this year.
It is unclear whether there will be any resolutions at all during the deliberations. In SPD negotiating circles, it is pointed out that no resolutions are planned because it is not a regular conference of prime ministers. The official reason for the switch is that Merkel and Scholz want to inform about the new crisis team in the Chancellery. According to SZ information, this is to be headed by Major General Carsten Breuer. (11/30/2021)
Demands for a new federal emergency brake
In response to the Karlsruhe resolutions on anti-corona measures, the executive head of the Chancellery, Helge Braun (CDU), is pushing for a nationwide emergency brake in the fight against the rampant fourth wave of pandemics. “We now need an emergency brake that works nationwide according to uniform rules that are comprehensible to citizens,” said Braun of the German press agency in Berlin. “The judgment makes it clear that binding nationwide action is possible in the Corona crisis. And I add: In the current, difficult situation it is also necessary.”
A continued overload of the health system could only be averted with a nationwide uniform approach, emphasized Braun. “I see the reference to the options for action in individual countries by some traffic light politicians as an escape from shared responsibility,” he criticized at the same time. The Federal Constitutional Court had previously decided that in the third wave of pandemics in spring, the federal government was allowed to impose exit and contact restrictions via the so-called corona emergency brake.
Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder also sees the judgment as “the basis for a new federal emergency brake”. All those who tried to paint a different picture have now been refuted, wrote the CSU politician on Twitter. “Confirmation across the board.” Söder warned: “We have to act quickly now.”
The executive Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn said of the constitutional court ruling on the federal emergency brake: “The ruling creates clarity.” It should “offer orientation to the parties who have so far ruled out tougher measures due to legal concerns”. With regard to the infection situation, the CDU politician emphasizes: “We need resolute state action to break the fourth wave.” (11/30/2021)
Reduction of vacation time is legal with zero short-time work
Corona short-time workers with days off work must, according to a ruling by the Federal Labor Court, expect a proportionate reduction in their annual vacation. The highest German labor court in Erfurt ruled in the case of a saleswoman from North Rhine-Westphalia that this applies to short-time work zero with longer times without work obligations. The Federal Labor Court thus passed a landmark judgment in the corona pandemic (9 AZR 225/11) in a “question that is highly controversial,” as the presiding judge Heinrich Kiel said. With zero short-time work, work is temporarily completely suspended.
Given the force of the fourth corona wave, the judge’s ruling could have an impact on tens of thousands of employees in Germany in the coming months. Legal experts spoke of a loophole in the federal vacation law for short-time work zero, which has now been closed.
The Federal Labor Court followed its line since 2019, according to which the amount of vacation leave should be based on the number of days agreed with compulsory work. It confirmed a ruling by the Düsseldorf Regional Labor Court on the action brought by the seller from Essen. The German Federation of Trade Unions had fought against vacation cuts for short-time work and supported the plaintiff. (11/30/2021)
Hamburg extends the 2-G rule to retail trade
From Saturday on, the retail trade in Hamburg will only be able to serve vaccinated and convalescent people. Unvaccinated people can only shop in shops for daily needs. The 2 G plus model will also apply in clubs in the future. Visitors then have to present a negative corona test in addition to their vaccination or recovery certificates.
“It will be mandatory to introduce 2-G in retail,” said Senate spokesman Marcel Schweitzer. In addition, the 2-G plus model applies to so-called dance pleasures. Schweitzer also announced new regulations for major events, depending on ongoing consultations with the federal government. Senator for Finance Andreas Dressel (SPD) assured the businessmen of support in view of the looming loss of sales: “The help will continue.” Nobody has to worry that they will be left alone in the fourth corona wave. (11/30/2021)
Health ministers want pharmacies and dental practices to be vaccinated against the coronavirus
The health ministers of the federal states have asked the federal government to create the legal basis for corona vaccinations in pharmacies and dental practices. This should be done as part of a temporary exemption, said the chairman of the conference of health ministers and Bavarian health minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU) on Monday evening after a video session with his colleagues.
The vaccination campaign must be promoted “massively with pragmatism, flexibility and commitment”. “The way out of the pandemic remains: vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate,” explained Holetschek. The health ministers had agreed that pharmacists and dentists could do a large part in vaccinating as many people as possible quickly and with a low threshold. In pharmacies, model projects for flu vaccinations have achieved good results. The prerequisite is that sufficient vaccine is available, said Holetschek. There should not be a distribution battle between vaccination centers, doctor’s offices and pharmacies. (11/30/2021)
For the first time in three weeks, the incidence has fallen slightly
The nationwide seven-day incidence fell slightly for the first time in more than three weeks compared to the previous day. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) gave the value of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants and week at 452.2. A high of 452.4 had been reached on Monday. A week ago the value was 399.8 (previous month: 153.7). The institute also reports 45 753 new corona infections. Exactly a week ago there were 45,326 infections. 388 deaths have to be added to the death statistics. The number of people who died with or with the involvement of a proven infection with Sars-CoV-2 rose to 101,344. The RKI stated the number of those who had recovered as 4,893,300 on Tuesday. (11/30/2021)