Coronavirus BW: New rules – no more contact restrictions – SWR Aktuell

Baden-Württemberg is sticking to the mask requirement and the 3G rule. In a transitional period until April 2nd, most of the Corona rules remain valid. What comes after that is open.

From March 20th, almost all corona rules in Germany will fall. The Bundestag and Bundesrat passed a corresponding law on Friday. But not all federal states are going along with it, some are instead using a transitional period to temporarily stick to some corona measures.

Kretschmann: Corona pandemic is by no means over

“The new federal infection protection law does not fit the current corona situation,” said Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens). “Yes, the virus has changed its face. But the pandemic is by no means over.” In the middle of this renewed wave, there is now a new infection protection law that no longer provides for any basic protective measures and gives the federal states a completely inadequate set of tools, according to the Baden-Württemberg head of government in a statement on Friday.

Baden-Wuerttemberg

The country leaders have accused the traffic light coalition of going it alone in the matter of corona management. BW Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann also found clear words.
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Baden-Württemberg has therefore announced a new Corona regulation in order to adhere to certain rules at least until the end of the transition period on April 2nd. The ordinance came into force on Saturday (19 March).

Essential points of the new Corona regulation in BW

In view of the currently high incidences, the country is using the transitional rule provided for in the law, which enables additional protective measures to be taken at least until April 2, 2022. These corona rules remain in place in Baden-Württemberg or are abolished:

The previous level system in the Corona Ordinance (basic, warning and alarm level) is no longer applicable. Corresponding restrictions in public and private life have so far been linked to the incidence of hospitalization and the number of corona patients in intensive care units in the country.

From Saturday, the contact restrictions for private meetings and the capacity limits for public events will no longer apply. According to the Ministry of Health, there will no longer be a legal basis for this in the future. According to the decisions of the state government, unvaccinated people can meet again from Saturday without any restrictions.

In addition, football clubs, for example, can again fill their stadiums to the last seat. At VfB Stuttgart, around 60,000 spectators can watch the game against FC Augsburg on Saturday.

Nothing will change in the existing 3G rule in Baden-Württemberg, at least for the transitional period of two weeks. Events, restaurants, trade fairs, exhibitions and many other areas of public life may only visit those who have been vaccinated, tested or recovered. Clubs and discotheques are only allowed to enter vaccinated or recovered people who are tested at the same time (2G-Plus). The rules for creating hygiene concepts also remain in place – as usual – for example at public events and in discos and clubs.

Nationwide, the mask requirement should still apply in nursing homes, clinics and in local transport – that’s what the law of the traffic light government says. Baden-Württemberg’s Health Minister Manfred Lucha (Greens) criticized this heavily, saying that it doesn’t go far enough for him. There is therefore still a general FFP2 mask requirement indoors in the country until at least April 2nd. Masks should also be worn in schools and daycare centers, at least for the two-week transitional period.

The tests in schools, on the other hand, should be adapted. From Monday there will only be two corona tests per week at schools in Baden-Württemberg instead of the previous three. In addition, the so-called re-entry tests on five consecutive days after an infection are omitted. The obligation to test in hospitals or nursing homes will continue. The general recommended distance (1.5 meters) also remains in place.

Baden-Wuerttemberg

Manfred Lucha (Greens), Minister for Social Affairs and Integration in Baden-Württemberg, at a government press conference in the Citizens and Media Center of the Baden-Württemberg state parliament (Photo: dpa Bildfunk, picture alliance/dpa | Marijan Murat)

According to plans by the federal government, the mask requirement indoors is to be abolished from Sunday. BW Health Minister Lucha criticizes this sharply.
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According to the law, Baden-Württemberg can define regional hotspots after April 2nd. The state parliament must first declare an area a hotspot. From the point of view of the federal government, this can also be an entire federal state. The State Ministry hopes to be able to continue to prescribe a comprehensive mask requirement and the 3G rule, at least in the hotspots. Baden-Württemberg considers the hotspot regulation to be legally too vague and not very practical.

Baden-Wuerttemberg

A man shows a stick for a swab.  (Photo: dpa Bildfunk, picture alliance/dpa | Sebastian Gollnow)

After weeks of decline, there are signs of a trend reversal in the number of corona infections in Baden-Württemberg. The numbers are rising again. Does it go straight to the next wave?
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Seven-day incidence continues to rise

Meanwhile, the number of infections in Baden-Württemberg is increasing. On Friday, the state health department reported a seven-day incidence of 1,932.8 (+5.7 compared to the previous day). A week ago, the value was still at 1,790.6. A total of 39,102 new corona cases were reported. According to the authorities, there were 261 Covid patients in the intensive care units in the country on Friday – ten more than the day before. The hospitalization incidence was given as 8.1.

State government is apparently considering “hotspot” regulation by the end of April

In view of the high number of infections, the green-black state government wants to take countermeasures beyond April 2nd – if possible – with corona requirements. As the German Press Agency learned from government circles in Stuttgart on Friday, the coalition is considering declaring the whole country a “hotspot” so that it can maintain these protective measures until the end of April. But as in other countries, there are legal concerns as to whether federal law provides for such a regulation. However, the State Ministry did not confirm this to the SWR.

Baden-Wuerttemberg

An employee drips a solution onto a test cassette after a rapid corona test.  (Photo: dpa Bildfunk, picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentralbild | Robert Michael (symbolic image))

Baden-Württemberg has extended the corona measures until the beginning of April. The state government is apparently considering applying the “hotspot” rule to the whole country so that the measures can even be extended until the end of April.
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