Germany is loosening up. Almost all corona measures should fall in just a few days. This is what it says in the draft of the new Infection Protection Act, which is to apply from March 20th. Accordingly, there will be almost no restrictions in people’s everyday lives, but regional measures should be possible in the event of an acute corona situation. It’s amazing: The corona virus is just starting up again when the government announces the start of great freedom.
In principle, it is right and necessary to withdraw measures if the pandemic situation allows it. But the government’s plans have nothing to do with the pandemic situation. Rather, as is so often the case during the pandemic, a decision is being made for purely political reasons, detached from the facts that the virus creates. No more restrictions in everyday life in view of an incidence of more than 1300, and the trend is rising, and 220 deaths a day? Here, quite obviously against all reason, a promise is to be implemented that the FDP made in October – freedom day March 20, for better or for worse. And Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD), who otherwise warns of caution, can apparently do little to counteract this.
The new Infection Protection Act does not deserve its name
The pandemic is ongoing and is gaining momentum again. The new Omikron BA.2 variant contributes to this, but also the fact that a large number of measures have already been taken and that there is general carelessness among the population when it comes to Corona. The full-bodied announcement of everyday life with almost no restrictions should only strengthen many people in the country in the belief that the pandemic is over and that one can return to the normality of 2019.
The number of infected people is extremely high right now and it will rise again sharply because of this new infection control law, which does not deserve its name, before summer hopefully catches the virus again. The millions of people in the country who are particularly at risk are left behind. People who are not adequately protected due to age or illness despite vaccination can currently hardly escape Sars-CoV-2. Only a fraction of these people live in care facilities, where stricter measures should continue to apply. Most of these many millions of people live in the midst of society. They have to drive to work and go shopping every day.
The mask requirement in buses, trains and shops should remain
It would therefore be advisable to stick to the home office obligation for a while longer. This curbed the spread of the virus and gave vulnerable people the opportunity to work in a protected environment and shield themselves from contacts as far as their health requires – without having to engage in discussions with their employer and without having to disclose previous illnesses.
A minimum of protection against infection, which the law is supposed to offer, would also be to at least stick to the general obligation to wear masks in public transport, supermarkets and drugstores until the incidences have dropped very significantly, so that people at risk can also use them without worries. Wearing masks in these places is not asking too much of anyone, but of course it would contradict the promised freedom from all measures. The fifth wave is just rearing up again. Despite this, loosening it so comprehensively shows recklessness and a lack of political backbone.