Test and mask obligation
Lauterbach: Germany “well prepared” with adopted corona rules in autumn and winter
© Michael Kappeler / DPA
Scientists and politicians have been warning for months of rising corona numbers and a new wave of pandemics in autumn. The Federal Council has now cleared the way for the control measures already proposed.
In Germany, certain mask and test requirements against Corona will apply again in autumn and winter. This provides for new rules for dealing with the pandemic, which the Federal Council decided on Friday in Berlin. The law goes back to a proposal by Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) and Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) and was passed in the Bundestag last week. Now the country is “well prepared,” said Lauterbach.
FFP2 masks are mandatory nationwide in clinics, nursing homes and medical practices. Masks are still compulsory on long-distance trains, although a simple surgical mask is sufficient for children between the ages of 6 and 13. Masks are no longer compulsory on airplanes. In nursing homes and clinics, a negative test must also be presented before entry.
It is possible to make masks compulsory on local trains and buses as well as indoors such as shops, restaurants and event rooms. The federal states can prescribe masks there from October 1, but do not have to. Anyone who shows a negative test must be exempted from such an obligation in the catering trade and at events. Tests should be mandatory in schools and daycare centers. From class five, a mask requirement is possible.
Measures can be tightened depending on the Corona situation
If the infection situation worsens, the federal states can make further requirements with a state parliament resolution: Masks are also compulsory at outdoor events if distances of 1.50 meters are not possible; Attendance caps for indoor events; Hygiene concepts for companies and other facilities.
A new nationwide vaccination campaign is planned. The aim is to provide information about the vaccines that have been adapted to new virus variants. In addition, drugs should be used more intensively for people with Covid-19. There should also be better, up-to-date data on hospital occupancy. Homes must appoint officers who take care of vaccinations, hygiene and therapies for those who are sick, for example with the drug Paxlovid.