The federal cabinet has extended the corona rules in the workplace – and employees still do not have to disclose to their company whether they are vaccinated or not. The occupational health and safety ordinance, which the cabinet extended to the end of November on Wednesday morning, does not contain a corresponding right to information for employers. However, companies should take this status into account when determining the necessary protective measures, provided they are aware of it.
The right to information is not off the table: “We are checking it,” said government spokesman Steffen Seibert. “There are arguments for and against.” A spokeswoman for the Federal Ministry of Health said: “The talks are ongoing.” Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU), in his own words, tends to change not the ordinance but the Infection Protection Act so that employers can ask about the vaccination status of employees over the next six months. Economics Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU) is also in favor. The German Federation of Trade Unions, however, strictly rejects the plans with reference to data protection.
The occupational health and safety ordinance, on the other hand, which the cabinet has now extended to November 24, 2021, contains a new obligation for employers from September 10th to inform employees about the risks of Covid-19 disease and vaccination options, to allow them to vaccinate and to support company doctors with company vaccination offers, as announced by the Federal Ministry of Labor. Otherwise, existing rules continue to apply, such as the obligation to have company hygiene plans and to offer quick or self-tests at least twice a week. Home office should also serve as a way of reducing contact. Where other measures do not provide adequate protection, employers must provide at least one medical protective mask.
The responsible SPD members of the federal government had previously rejected the employer’s right to information about the vaccination status of his employees. She only considers that to be justifiable in exceptional cases, said Federal Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht. “Health data of employees are particularly sensitive, including the question of a vaccination against the coronavirus.” The SPD politician told the newspapers of the Funke media group that a right to information is only conceivable in certain cases “in which there are particularly dangerous situations.”
Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) also spoke out against a general vaccination status query. “The labor law does not give that,” he said in the ARD “Morgenmagazin”. It is still important that the world of work does not become a source of infection. “What is not possible is that we make very personal data about the health status available to everyone.”
At the same time, however, Heil spoke out in favor of pragmatic solutions. For example, it is possible to set up a kind of 3G rule about infection protection law at particularly sensitive workplaces such as hospitals or old people’s homes – i.e. to require employees to provide evidence that they have either recovered, been vaccinated or tested. Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) must make a legally secure proposal for such a pragmatic solution, said Heil. “You have to think about such demands through to the end. You can’t just ask for something in a talk show.”
Statutory health insurance physicians demand a Stiko recommendation for the third vaccination
The statutory health insurance physicians in Germany are demanding a recommendation from the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) for booster vaccinations against the coronavirus. “The Stiko has the data to issue a recommendation for a third vaccination for certain groups,” said the chairman of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), Andreas Gassen, to the newspapers of the Funke media group. “The Stiko would be the right institution for such requirements. This is where the experts who actually know about vaccination are located.” It is a matter of first protecting those who have an increased risk of the disease with a third dose. “Stiko makes rational, fact-based decisions – unlike politics sometimes,” said Gassen.
The Stiko has not yet given a recommendation for the refresher. Some federal states already offer or prepare booster vaccinations. SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach demanded that politicians now have to make a clear announcement which groups should be given the booster vaccinations first. “It must be clear which age groups are involved and for which risk factors a third vaccination is indicated.” (01.09.2021)
Incidence increases slightly
The nationwide seven-day incidence has increased slightly again. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) on Wednesday morning, it was 75.7 – the day before the value had fallen again for a long time and was 74.8. The health authorities in Germany reported 13,531 new corona infections to the RKI within one day. According to the new information, 23 deaths were recorded across Germany within 24 hours.
In the future, in addition to the new infections, other values such as the number of hospital admissions will be taken into greater account. The seven-day hospitalization incidence indicates how many admissions of Covid 19 patients in inpatient treatment per 100,000 inhabitants were reported in seven days. On Tuesday, the RKI stated the value, which has been rising slowly for weeks, in the management report at 1.75. A nationwide threshold value 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 time. The seven-day incidence is calculated according to RKI information on the basis of the reporting date to the local health department. Accordingly, an average of about ten days elapse between an infection and hospitalization, so the hospitalization incidence reflects the infection situation with a noticeable delay. (01.09.2021)
Australia: “Delta variant makes zero Covid strategy impossible”
Despite a lockdown that has been in place for more than two months, the authorities in the Australian state of New South Wales have again recorded more than 1,100 new corona infections within 24 hours. The government in the region with the metropolis of Sydney admitted that the zero Covid strategy, which the country had long pursued, had failed. “It is impossible to eliminate the Delta variant,” said Regional Prime Minister Gladys Berejiklian.
So far, New South Wales has been successful in bringing other variants under control. “But the Delta variant is a turning point – and every state in Australia will have to live with it sooner or later.” The authorities are currently trying to fully vaccinate 70 percent of the population as soon as possible in order to achieve herd immunity. In New South Wales, this could be the case as early as mid-October, said Berejiklian. In Melboune, the lockdown is only to be lifted when the vaccination rate in the adult population reaches 70 percent. That is expected to be the case around September 23, said Daniel Andrews, Prime Minister of the state of Victoria.
Australia, a country of 25 million people, had long tried to completely ban the corona virus with strict rules and closed external borders. Entire regions have already been locked down in a handful of cases. However, several parts of the country have been struggling with increasing numbers for months due to the spread of the delta variant. The greater Sydney area is particularly hard hit. (01.09.2021)
EU achieves important target in vaccination campaign
The European Union has achieved an important goal in the fight against the coronavirus. According to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday, 70 percent of adults are now fully vaccinated. (08/31/2021)
More new infections in Israel than ever
The number of new corona infections within 24 hours has climbed to a new high in Israel since the beginning of the pandemic. The Ministry of Health announced that 10,947 new cases had been registered. In the meantime, more than a million infections have been reported in the country with a population of 9.4 million. The number of seriously ill fell slightly, it was 719 on Tuesday. For comparison: The health authorities in Germany reported 5,750 new corona infections to the RKI within one day. Germany has about nine times more inhabitants than Israel.
In Israel, the Biontech / Pfizer preparation is used almost exclusively. Since the end of July, the country has been the first in the world to administer third vaccinations against the coronavirus, around two million have already been vaccinated three times. About 59 percent of citizens have received two doses of vaccine. All Israelis aged twelve and over can now be vaccinated for the third time. However, it is hardly possible to achieve herd immunity as long as around 2.13 million children under twelve can only be vaccinated in rare exceptional cases. They make up almost a quarter of the population.
The background to the decision to have a third vaccination are figures from the Ministry of Health, according to which the effectiveness of the vaccination has declined sharply since the beginning of June. At the same time, the delta variant, which is considered to be particularly contagious, spread.
Experts fear that the start of school on September 1 after the summer vacation could further fuel the infection rate. According to Israeli media reports, more than 90,000 children and young people cannot go to school or kindergarten because they are currently ill or in corona quarantine. (08/31/2021)
Intensive care physicians warn against overloading the clinic staff
In view of the increasing number of Covid patients in the clinics, intensive care physicians are warning of an overload of the staff in intensive care units. “Our people are exhausted,” said Gernot Marx, President of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive and Emergency Medicine, to the newspapers of the Funke media group. The staff in intensive care units are still under constant stress: “The exhaustion from the first three waves has not yet been recovered.” The clinics did not take a break, but carried out many postponed interventions over the summer.
Marx called the current development in the intensive care units worrying. Within a month, the number of seriously ill Covid patients almost tripled from under 400 to over 1000. “Intensive care units are already getting full again in some regions,” he warned.
The SPD health politician Karl Lauterbach demanded the same guide values for the hospital deliveries of corona patients for all of Germany. Otherwise there is a threat of a “patchwork quilt,” he told the Funke newspapers. At the moment, however, the value from which it could become critical varies greatly from region to region. This could lead to considerable distortions.
For example, the importance of the hospitalization rate depends on how many vaccinated people and how many hospital beds there are in a region, Lauterbach said. The average age in a region also plays a role. In addition, it is unclear what will happen if the delivery rate exceeds a certain mark. “A clear link between incidence and hospitalization is necessary and will come in the course of parliamentary deliberations,” he said. (08/31/2021)