Hamburg tightened corona rules: from Monday largely 2G-Plus

Omicron wave
Hamburg tightens corona rules: As of Monday, 2G-Plus will largely apply

In view of the increasingly widespread Omikron variant, Hamburg is tightening its corona rules in large parts from 2G to 2G-Plus. Vaccinated persons would also have to submit a negative corona test from next Monday in restaurants, cultural events and indoor sports, said Senate spokesman Marcel Schweitzer on Tuesday in the Hanseatic city. However, boosters are exempt from the obligation. In Hamburg, according to Schweitzer, 621,000 people or 40 percent of the adult population have already been vaccinated three times, i.e. boosted.

Retail rules not tightened for the time being

According to Schweitzer, the same applies to students who are regularly tested in schools anyway. It can be assumed that Omikron is now the predominant virus variant and that fully vaccinated people could easily become infected with it, said the spokesman. Booster vaccinations, however, increased protection.

The retail sector remains exempt from the tightening of the rules to 2G-Plus. As a justification, Schweitzer referred to court rulings from other federal states that had overturned 2G-Plus rules for retailers. Depending on the results of the deliberations of the Federal Government’s Corona Expert Council on Tuesday and the federal-state peak meeting on Friday, the Senate could adjust the requirements again, according to Schweitzer.

Ghost games for HSV and St. Pauli

Large events in professional sport such as the Bundesliga will have to be held as ghost games in Hamburg in future due to Corona. So far there had been an exception regulation that deviated from the decision of the Prime Minister’s Conference. In the amateur area, outdoor sports events may in future only take place in front of a maximum of 1000 spectators. In sports halls, an upper limit of 200 spectators should apply, as Schweitzer said. So far, a maximum of 5,000 spectators outside and a maximum of 2,500 spectators in halls have been permitted at events according to the 2G rule.

Incidence is skyrocketing in Hamburg

Meanwhile, the seven-day incidence of new corona infections in Hamburg has risen again significantly. The health authority gave the number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within a week on Tuesday at 463.3. On Monday the value was 440.3, a week ago it was 329.8. Hamburg is thus still well above the national average: across Germany, the seven-day incidence on Tuesday rose from 232.4 the previous day to 239.9, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). However, the RKI pointed out that due to less test and reporting activity during the holidays, the figures could still be incomplete.

yks
DPA
AFP