Infection Protection Act: 50 incidence should be deleted

The 50s incidence is still a criterion for tightening corona measures. The Corona cabinet has now agreed to forego the value – and wants to focus on hospital utilization.

In the future, restrictions due to corona should no longer apply within seven days from an incidence of 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants. The Corona cabinet has agreed on this with Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and the specialist ministers. Instead, among other things, the burden in hospitals is to be introduced as a new benchmark in the Infection Protection Act. The Corona cabinet met again for the first time since the summer break and it was agreed that Health Minister Jens Spahn should quickly make a corresponding proposal and the federal cabinet should then adopt it, said government spokesman Steffen Seibert.

According to Seibert, people who have been vaccinated against Corona or who have recovered no longer have to fear serious restrictions as things stand. “You can tell the vaccinated that nothing will change for them, even if the numbers continue to rise, and that also applies to those who have recovered: You do not have to reckon with new restrictions now,” said Seibert. However, it cannot yet be foreseen whether a new virus variant will appear in which the previous vaccines did not work.

“50s incidence is obsolete”

Health Minister Spahn had already met Morning magazine from ARD and ZDF for the deletion of the 50s incidence. “The 50s incidence in the law is obsolete.” The value – no more than 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days – applied to an unvaccinated population.

Some federal states have already moved away from incidence

The Infection Protection Act provides for special measures for a certain number of new corona cases. However, some federal states have already moved away from focusing on incidence. “That is why my suggestion is that this benchmark, this 50s incidence, should be swiftly deleted from the law,” said Spahn.

Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet also spoke out on “Bild TV” for a quick move away from the 50s incidence. “We learned: the incidence alone is no longer meaningful,” he said. It is known that “50 is no longer the same today as it was a year ago because so many people are vaccinated”.

You think the threshold is dispensable, said Federal Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht also on “Bild” TV. The guideline was created when the number of infections was even higher and there was not enough vaccine. Instead, the vaccination rate is now relevant, the situation in the health care system and the increase in the number of infections. This was also decided at the last Prime Minister’s meeting, said Lambrecht.