Before the final discussion of the plans of the SPD, Greens and FDP against the aggravated corona situation in the Bundestag, the planned details will be known. In the future, the prohibition of assemblies and religious gatherings should also be excluded, as can be seen from a submission for the main committee of the Bundestag, which the German Press Agency claims to be available. The federal states should also no longer be allowed to suspend face-to-face teaching in schools, it is confirmed.
The 3 G principle is to be introduced at the workplace and in local and long-distance public transport, including air traffic, as the amendments further show. The SPD, Greens and FDP had already announced this, but left details open. 3 G means that everyone who has not been vaccinated or recovered has to show a negative corona test.
Employers should check compliance with the planned 3-G rule at the workplace on a daily basis. Employees should therefore no longer be allowed to enter workplaces where “physical contact” with others cannot be ruled out without proof of vaccination, recovery or daily test evidence (or a maximum of 48 hours old PCR test). The entry ban should not apply in the event that employees take the test directly in the company. Companies are currently still required to offer two tests per week. In addition, there has recently been a free weekly citizen test again. The access rules for means of transport are to be checked “randomly”. Carriers should be obliged to monitor this by means of appropriate verification checks.
According to the plans of the possible traffic light coalition, employees and visitors should only be allowed to enter clinics and care facilities with a daily negative corona test. In the case of employees who have been vaccinated or have recovered, testing should also be carried out by means of antigen tests for self-application without monitoring, i.e. by means of a self-test. A PCR test should be enough twice a week. The obligation to test should also apply in facilities for people with disabilities.
It had already become known the day before that the possible future coalition partners would continue to give the countries the option of restricting contacts and prohibiting leisure events. Exit or travel restrictions as well as general closings of schools, shops or restaurants should no longer be possible after the epidemic expires on November 25th. The plans are to be decided in the Bundestag on Thursday. The next day the Federal Council wants to deal with it. In addition, the heads of government from the federal and state levels will meet for deliberations on Thursday. (11/16/2021)
Wüst announces 2G in NRW
Due to the sharp rise in corona numbers, access restrictions are to be introduced in North Rhine-Westphalia in the leisure area for adults who have not been vaccinated or have recovered. This was announced by Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) on Tuesday after a cabinet meeting in Düsseldorf. In particularly sensitive areas, even 2G plus should apply – so current tests should also be necessary for vaccinated and convalescent people. This applies, among other things, to carnival sessions, said Wüst.
This week, numerous other top committees are discussing the tense corona situation: This Wednesday, Wüst will be teaching the state parliament in Düsseldorf in a special session about its corona course. On Thursday, the Prime Ministers of the federal states will discuss a uniform approach together with the Executive Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU). North Rhine-Westphalia chairs the Conference of Prime Ministers (MPK). Also on Thursday, the Bundestag will vote on a reform of the Infection Protection Act. A special meeting of the Federal Council is planned for Friday.
Last week, Wüst had already spoken out in favor of the federal and state governments agreeing, if possible, on a common “timetable for the winter months” at the MPK. From his point of view, this should include a 2-G regulation in the leisure sector as well as a 3-G regulation in the workplace. “3G” stands for vaccinated, recovered, tested. (11/16/21)
Alert level in Baden-Württemberg
Unvaccinated people in Baden-Württemberg will be largely excluded from participating in public life from Wednesday. As Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) announced, the country will reach the so-called alert level due to the worsening situation in the intensive care units. Only those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered will then have access to restaurants, museums and most public events.
In Baden-Württemberg, the following applies: If the number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care units exceeds the critical value of 390 on the second working day in a row, the so-called corona alarm level with the strict 2-G rule automatically comes into force. Anyone who is not vaccinated and can only show one test is left out in the cinema, in the swimming pool or in the fitness studio, in adult education courses and music schools. Schoolchildren have to wear masks again in class.
There are also exceptions, for example for public transport and religious events. Even in retail, the 3G alert does not require a PCR test. Basic supply shops such as supermarkets and outdoor markets and pick-up and delivery offers are also excluded. For the night in a hotel, however, unvaccinated persons have to present a PCR test. Even at the hairdresser or in the nail salon, the alarm level 3G with a PCR test is mandatory.
The contact restrictions for unvaccinated people will also be tightened. In future, meetings will only be allowed for one household and one additional person. This does not apply to people who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. Children and young people up to the age of 17 are also not counted. (11/16/2021)
Restaurants, bars and clubs in Hamburg will in future be taboo for unvaccinated people
Because of the rapidly increasing corona cases in Hamburg, unvaccinated people are no longer allowed to enter restaurants, bars and clubs from Saturday. The red-green Senate canceled the 3-G model in a number of areas and instead made the 2G model mandatory. With the 2-G model, only vaccinated and convalescents may be admitted, with the 3-G model also unvaccinated, provided they have a negative corona test. (11/16/2021)
RKI reports new maximum incidence value
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) registered 32 048 new positive tests in 24 hours. That is 10,216 cases more than on Tuesday a week ago. The seven-day incidence rose to a high of 312.4 from 303.0 the previous day. 265 other people died related to the virus. This increases the number of reported deaths to 97,980 within 24 hours. In total, more than five million corona tests have so far been positive in Germany.
The number of corona patients admitted to clinics per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days – the most important parameter for a possible tightening of the corona restrictions – was given by the RKI on Monday at 4.65. With the indicator it must be taken into account that hospital admissions are sometimes reported with delay. A nationwide threshold, from when the situation can be viewed critically, is not provided for the incidence of hospitalization, among other things because of large regional differences. The previous high was around 15.5 around Christmas 2020. (11/16/2021)
Scholz supports the debate about compulsory corona vaccination in nursing homes
SPD chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz supports a debate about compulsory corona vaccination for certain professional groups such as those working in nursing homes. “I think it is right that we have now started a discussion about whether this should be done,” said the executive vice chancellor at the economic summit Süddeutsche Zeitung. To speak about it alone is a clear statement – the SPD, Greens and FDP deliberately opened this debate.
Scholz said at the same time that compulsory vaccination for certain professional groups is only possible if “many want to participate”. A consensus is necessary for this. “When that is achieved, I think that’s a good thing,” he said. Such a decision could also be made at short notice. The Greens had also announced that possible future government partners wanted to talk about compulsory vaccination for employees in nursing homes, for example.
The deputy FDP parliamentary group leader Michael Theurer was also open. “The fact is: We have now agreed on extensive measures – the home office obligation, the 3-G rule in buses and trains and also at work,” said Theurer in the ZDF “Morgenmagazin” https://www.sueddeutsche.de/ politik /. “And personally, for example, I can also imagine compulsory vaccination for certain professional groups. (…) But we are still talking about this point today.”
Vaccination could not only be compulsory in medical or nursing professions, but also in the armed forces. Defense politicians of the possible traffic light coalition spoke out in favor of this. “From my point of view, the corona vaccination should be made mandatory in the basic immunization for soldiers,” said the SPD defense politician Siemtje Möller of the German press agency. “Especially in this critical situation of the pandemic, in which the Bundeswehr is increasingly being asked for official assistance, our soldiers can be sent quickly and safely to where help is most needed.” A representative of the Greens made a similar statement. The FDP defense politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann spoke out in favor of introducing the corona vaccination for civilian employees as well. (11/16/2021)
Federal states are calling for longer bridging aid
In view of the increasing incidence figures in Germany, the federal states are demanding an extension of the Corona bridging aid III Plus beyond the end of the year by a large majority. That is the result of a query among the state economics ministries and senate administrations, which the chairman of the conference of economics ministers, Andreas Pinkwart (FDP), carried out.
Bridging aid III Plus, a central crisis instrument of the federal government, is currently limited to the end of 2021. The bridging aid is given to companies with a corona-related drop in sales of at least 30 percent. Fixed operating costs are reimbursed.
“With the exception of Brandenburg and Schleswig-Holstein, all the other states have spoken out in favor of an extension,” said the NRW Economics Minister, summarizing the result in a letter to the Executive Minister of Economics, Peter Altmaier (CDU). Pinkwart spoke out in favor of extending the aid until March 2022. At the same time, the federal states expressed the “urgent request” to “appropriately extend” the deadline for the final settlement of the Corona aid in order to relieve the burden on the approval authorities. Altmaier himself had spoken out in favor of it last week. (11/16/2021)
Rush to free corona tests
According to the association, pharmacies are also experiencing a rush of corona citizen tests from those who have been completely vaccinated. “Since free citizen tests have been possible again since Saturday, people have been storming the test centers in pharmacies,” said Thomas Preis, head of the North Rhine Pharmacists’ Association Rheinische Post. “There were always smaller queues in front of individual test sites.” On Saturday alone, more than three times as many tests were carried out as on the Saturday of the previous week, he said.
“According to our findings, most of the visitors to the test sites have already been vaccinated twice. With a citizen test they want to ensure more safety for themselves, their families and friends,” explained Preis. In addition, more and more meetings are taking place under a 2-G plus rule.
In order to contain the fourth corona wave, people in Germany have been able to have themselves tested for the virus again free of charge since Saturday. In addition to pharmacies, there are also other providers. In an ordinance of the NRW Ministry of Health, it says that every citizen can be examined “at least once a week” free of charge in a test center for an infection with the coronavirus. The offer applies regardless of whether you have been vaccinated or recovered. In the past few weeks, people have had to pay for such tests. (11/16/2021)