According to Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU), the federal government is planning a mandatory test for everyone who enters Germany from August 1st. “The federal government has assured us today that it will try everything by August 1st with a uniform test requirement not only for air travel but also, for example, for everything that comes on a normal car route or train route,” said Söder in the daily topics. He thinks that is now more understandable, clearer and safer. The originally planned date for an entry regulation from September 11 would have been “a joke”, said Söder, “because the vacation is over even in the countries with late vacation.”
In the afternoon, the Federal Government had said that a tightening of the Corona travel requirements was in the vote. Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) in particular resisted stricter rules for reasons of proportionality, it said.
The countries had put pressure on because they needed a reliable basis for entry, said Söder in the evening. In the afternoon he was told that a legal basis would be created so that implementation would work on August 1st. “The rule is relatively simple, everyone needs a test who arrives back, so to speak, whether they come by car, train or plane.” Currently, the test only applies to people who travel to Germany by plane.
Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) had the picture-Zeitung (Wednesday) said that those who have been proven to be vaccinated or recovered do not have to prove a negative test result. Seehofer and Söder said that the controls in individual traffic should be carried out on a point-by-point basis. No one wants stationary border controls and no one does, said Söder. (07/27/2021)
Country leaders and the Chancellor will discuss further measures on August 10th
The prime ministers want to discuss further corona measures on August 10 – earlier than planned. This was announced by the chairman of the Ministerial Presidents’ Conference (MPK) and Governing Mayor of Berlin, Michael Müller (SPD). Shortly before, in view of the increasing number of infections, Müller had stated that the corridor would become narrower in which the current development could still be effectively counteracted. He and other heads of government had called for swift action and rapid consultation of the prime ministers. This will now take place on the Tuesday after next in the usual form with Chancellor Angela Merkel as a video switching conference, it said. The next MPK was originally planned for the end of August. (07/27/2021)
RKI registers 1545 new corona infections – incidence at 14.5
The seven-day incidence continues to rise – for almost three weeks now. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), it is 14.5, the previous day the value was 14.3. The health authorities in Germany reported 1,545 new corona infections to the RKI within one day. A week ago, the value for Germany was 1183 infections. 38 deaths were recorded across Germany within 24 hours. A week ago there were 34 dead.
Association: Only allow vaccinated people to attend major events
In Germany, the question of which freedoms vaccinated and convalescent should be given in the future continues to be debated. Big events only for them – that is the only way for the Federal Association of the Concert and Event Industry (BDKV) to get back to economic normalcy. “In the area of major events and concerts, there is only this route from the end of September at the latest, when everyone has received a vaccination offer,” says BDKV President Jens Michow. The staff and the artists would of course have to be vaccinated for such events. The alternative – events still only with distance requirements, mask requirements and a limited number of visitors – is not economically feasible, according to Michow.
Federal Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD), meanwhile, reminds restaurants of the possibility of opening them only to vaccinated people. “The freedom of contract enables private providers such as restaurateurs to design their offers largely freely,” she told the Funke media group. “Anyone who wants to offer their guests special protection can therefore also make offers that are only aimed at those who have been vaccinated.” At the same time, she spoke out again against compulsory vaccination. “There will be no compulsory vaccination.” Getting vaccinated is better than testing for the coronavirus: “A test is only a snapshot and does not contain any protective immunization. Vaccination is therefore the order of the day.”
Patient representatives are alarmed by the debate about a possible vaccination requirement, which has been growing since the weekend. Eugen Brysch, board member of the German Foundation for Patient Protection, said the Rheinische Postthat it is extremely dangerous to ponder it publicly. “Rather, it is important to convince the skeptics with arguments. The core of such a debate must be self-protection against Corona.” Brysch accused the federal government of shying away from this debate: “In doing so, it is leaving the field to the opponents of vaccinations and conspiracy theorists. This is exactly what is happening in France. Nobody in this country can have an interest in enforcing mandatory vaccination with the police.” (07/27/2021)
NRW tightens corona rules
As a result of increasing corona infection rates, stricter infection protection measures will again apply in North Rhine-Westphalia from this Monday. The state incidence level then moves from 0 to 1. It applies if the number of new infections within seven days is more than 10 but less than 35, based on 100,000 inhabitants. This automatically means stricter restrictions with supra-regional significance – also for districts and urban districts that are locally in level 0.
State incidence level 1 means, among other things: general mask requirement indoors, i.e. not only in medical practices, buses and trains, but also again, for example, in restaurants, museums, zoos and church services. For the retail trade, the space limitation of one customer for every ten square meters returns. Folk festivals and rifle festivals, conferences with more than 1000 participants as well as the operation of discos and clubs indoors are prohibited until August 27th.
According to an overview by the State Ministry of Health, Düsseldorf will probably jump to level 2 on Tuesday. The transition from level 1 to 2 takes effect if a city or a district exceeds the limit of 35 on three consecutive days, on the day after that. This entails even stricter requirements with regard to contact restrictions, test and distance obligations. Solingen will even be the first municipality in North Rhine-Westphalia to reach the highest level 3 (seven-day incidence from 50) on Monday. (07/26/2021)
Söder and Schwesig are calling for stricter rules for those returning to travel
In view of the increasing number of new corona infections in the middle of the holiday season, there are calls for stricter rules for travelers returning. The Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder proposes that such rules apply from August 1st, and not from September 11th as planned. “A quarantine regulation only after the holidays makes no sense,” said Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) Augsburger Allgemeine. One needs nationwide uniform rules. To do this, the Prime Minister’s Conference, which has been planned for the end of August, must be brought forward.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) has a similar view. “When returning from a risk area, two tests and a quarantine until the second test should be mandatory,” she said Handelsblatt. Just a test on return is not conclusive enough.
The President of the World Medical Association, Ulrich Montgomery, warns of an increase in infections from people returning from Spain and Italy. The virus entry by younger vacationers, who often have not yet been vaccinated twice, will increase, he said Rheinische Post. This must be countered “with consistent quarantine for unvaccinated travelers returning”. (07/25/2021)
Lash against restrictions for unvaccinated people
After an interview with the Minister of the Chancellery Helge Braun (CDU) Germany is again discussing the subject of mandatory vaccination. There are two arguments in favor of vaccination, Braun said Picture on sunday said: The vaccination protects 90 percent from severe corona disease. “And: Vaccinated people will definitely have more freedom than unvaccinated people. In order to break the fourth wave, it may be necessary” that certain offers such as restaurant, cinema and stadium visits would no longer be possible even for tested unvaccinated people because the residual risk was too high is.”
The Union’s candidate for chancellor, Armin Laschet, rejects restrictions for unvaccinated people. “I do not believe in compulsory vaccinations and do not believe in indirectly putting pressure on people to get vaccinated,” said the CDU chief in the summer interview with ZDF. The goal must be to fight the pandemic in such a way that all freedoms and fundamental rights are reinstated. A high vaccination rate is important for this. “If we then see in autumn that the vaccination rate is still far too low, I think we have to think further. But not now,” said Laschet.