“Gastronomy is a problem area,” says Karl Lauterbach
2G plus in gastronomy and shorter quarantine
Stricter corona rules are expected to be adopted at the federal-state meeting. Vaccinated and convalescent people will only be allowed to go to restaurants with an additional test. Quarantine times are to be shortened.
Health Minister Lauterbach believes that restrictions in restaurants are particularly necessary before the federal-state meeting. The catering industry has criticized the plans sharply. Brandenburg’s Prime Minister Woidke emphasizes that it is crucial to “maintain proportionality”.
A.In view of the spread of the Omikron variant of the coronavirus, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) believes that more contact restrictions in the catering sector are necessary. In the “RTL Direkt” program on Thursday evening, he said that the interior of the restaurant was intended to “allow you to enter there only if you have been vaccinated and tested twice. Only those who have been boosted can get in that way. “
This also provides for a draft resolution for the talks between Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) this Friday with the Prime Ministers of the federal states.
Lauterbach explained: “Gastronomy is a problem area. You often sit for hours without a mask. And if the people there then infect each other, as we see a lot at Omikron, then we need better protection, hence 2G plus, i.e. vaccinated and additionally tested. ”Lauterbach did not rule out further contact restrictions for the future.
The German Hotel and Restaurant Association (Dehoga) criticized the planned introduction of the 2G-Plus rule. The chief executive of the association, Ingrid Hartges, told the “Bild” (Friday edition): “Nationwide 2G-Plus would be a disaster for pubs and restaurants.” Hartges warned that landlords should not suffer if the government “apparently offers incentives for the third.” Vaccination “want to create. Instead, the federal and state governments should immediately expand vaccination and testing capacities “so that this grueling situation can be ended as quickly as possible.”
The Bavarian Hotel and Restaurant Association also rejects the considerations on 2G plus in the catering industry. “I warn against panic actionism, 2G plus plunges businesses into existential need with no added value for the infection,” said the President of the Bavarian Hotel and Restaurant Association, Angela Inselkammer, on Thursday evening. “In January, which is already extremely weak in terms of sales, the planned decision would be equivalent to a quasi-lockdown. For many companies, further opening would no longer pay off.”
Lauterbach confirmed that he advocates compulsory vaccination against Corona. In the future there could be virus variants that are not only highly contagious, but also very dangerous. “Then we would get into a very threatening situation,” he said. “The best protection is therefore a very high vaccination rate. And if that cannot be achieved, it has to be vaccinated. I believe that compulsory vaccination is the path that is necessary for Germany. “
SPD colleague Woidke warns of “proportionality”
Brandenburg’s Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD) does not expect a drastic expansion of the measures at the first federal-state round this year. “I see little scope for further measures,” said Woidke to the “Editorial network Germany“(” RND “). It is crucial to “maintain proportionality”. In view of the increasing number of infections of the omicron virus variant, Woidke said: “We hope for the best, but are preparing for the worst, that is, an exponentially increasing number of infections.”
Woidke said on Tuesday that he assumed that decisions would be made to ensure the health system and critical infrastructure are functioning properly. He also expects decisions to curb the infection dynamics. In the dpa interview at the end of December, Woidke had warned against discussing new corona rules too quickly and thereby stressing people too much.
The head of government was alarmed by threats from the group of opponents of the corona measures. “What concerns me are threats against doctors, against people who are involved, who have different political opinions than the demonstrators, as well as city councilors, members of parliament and volunteers,” he told the “RND”: “We must not accept that, this is about our democracy. “
Kretschmer: “There will be certain restrictions for everyone”
Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) spoke out in favor of similar protective measures nationwide. “We need comparable regulations in the whole of Germany. No major events, no visitors in the stadiums – and a level of contact restrictions that flattens this Omikron wave, ”said the CDU politician to the newspapers of the Funke media group. “I consider opening bars and discos to be irresponsible in the coming weeks.” He also demanded financial compensation for companies and institutions that are affected by restrictions.
Kretschmer made it clear that vaccinated people also have to be prepared for restrictions. “We’re in the same boat together. If everyone were vaccinated, we wouldn’t be worried about this omicron variant. The reality is, of course, that vaccinated people can infect others too. There will be certain restrictions for everyone. ”The 2G and 2G-plus rules would have to be expanded. Objections by Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) to a general vaccination requirement Kretschmer considered wrong. “We have to get people who absolutely do not want to be vaccinated out of their corner (…) Refusing vaccinations harm not only themselves, but also society as a whole.”