Live blog for the Prime Minister’s Conference: 3G at work, mandatory vaccination for care

The press conference ends after a short final round of questions with the journalists present. And we also say goodbye and wish you all a nice evening!

SPD politician Scholz also emphasizes that, given the seriousness of the situation, he is satisfied with the MPK’s deliberations. A good decision has been found together, the starting signal has been set. It is important that social consensus, such as 3G in the workplace, quickly finds its way into politics. This is exactly what the new resolution is supposed to do.

Scholz again appeals to those who have not been vaccinated so far to “give themselves a jolt” and make a decision in favor of it. It is also important to convince many of them to have booster vaccinations. This concerns several million people. To this end, the federal, state and local governments now want to jointly expand the range of vaccinations.

“We would have liked to save ourselves this situation,” Scholz begins. That is why it is now so important that you as a country talk to each other. “Far-reaching measures” would be seen in winter. The incumbent Vice Chancellor refers to the access rules decided by the Bundestag only for vaccinated, convalescent and tested people (3G) in the workplace and on transport. All of this contributes to greater security. It is now important as a country to stick together.

Soon-Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) continues.

The vaccination rate is clearly too low, complains Müller. “There are too many people who do not accept offers even though they could.” In his opinion, this is not due to the fact that there was too little education, advertising, vaccination options, money or determination. “That is not the reason. It is the reason that there is too much selfishness and too much indifference.”

Michael Müller, Governing Mayor of Berlin, also uses his speaking time to emphatically appeal to the unvaccinated. “Every day counts,” he says. It is time to accept vaccination offers, first vaccinations as well as booster vaccinations. “Please don’t wait, try to get vaccination appointments now,” said the SPD politician to the citizens.

Müller asks for your understanding that there may be waiting times in vaccination centers or with some doctors. But: “We will do everything we can to implement vaccination offers better and faster.”

Wüst goes on to say that the effectiveness of the measures in the Infection Protection Act will be re-examined in December. At the next Prime Minister’s Conference on December 9th at the latest, it should be checked whether the measures are sufficient.

Finally, the Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia thanks the people who have already been vaccinated and calls on everyone else to be vaccinated again.

NRW Prime Minister Wüst announced that the federal and state governments have decided to oblige employees in hospitals and nursing homes to have a corona vaccination. The obligation should apply to contact with vulnerable people. The vaccination obligation should therefore apply to employees in hospitals, old people’s and nursing homes as well as integration assistance facilities and mobile care services

In addition, the 2G area will be expanded in the culture and gastronomy area and 3G will be introduced in the workplace.

Now the chairman of the Prime Minister’s Conference Hendrik Wüst (CDU) takes the floor.

In addition, Merkel explains that the federal and state governments have agreed “that we will pay the nursing staff a bonus in connection with intensive care in particular”.
In conclusion, the Executive Chancellor emphasized again that the situation was “highly dramatic”. That is why it is so important that we act quickly and consistently. Protective measures should be better controlled. Because with the current momentum, Germany threatens to get into “a very difficult situation” during the pandemic.

Merkel announced that as soon as certain stress thresholds are exceeded in the clinics, uniformly stricter corona measures should take effect. According to the resolution, the benchmark should be the hospitalization rate reported for the respective federal state.

Specifically, if a threshold value of 3 is exceeded, the federal states should only introduce nationwide access rules for vaccinated and convalescent people (2G), for example to events and the catering trade – if they have not already done so. If a value of 6 is exceeded, the federal states should also prescribe test certificates or other measures in certain facilities for vaccinated and convalescent people (2G plus).

At the latest when the threshold value of 9 is exceeded, the federal states should then make use of further restrictions. This aims at a clause resolved by the Bundestag: According to a corresponding state parliament resolution, the states should also be able to impose tougher measures such as contact restrictions or restrictions and bans on events.

Chancellor Angela Merkel begins with serious words. The situation is “worrying”. “We are in a very serious situation,” says Merkel. “It really is absolute time to act.” What is needed now is “a quick stop or braking” of the exponential increase in the number of infections.

“We could be in a better position if the vaccination gap weren’t so big,” emphasized the current chancellor. Many of the measures that need to be taken now would not be necessary if more people were vaccinated. “It’s never too late to get vaccinated.”

Good evening dear readers,

the press conference after the Prime Minister’s Conference begins.