The possible future Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) advocates far-reaching 2-G regulations in Germany. The fact that more and more federal states are now only allowing access to events, cinemas or restaurants to people who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered from Corona is “a good step forward,” said the SPD politician in the Bundestag. The changes to the Infection Protection Act planned by his party, the FDP and the Greens would give the countries “every opportunity” to react differently to the respective situation. Scholz also announced that there would be a federal-state meeting to combat corona next week. The SPD had so far refused.
In the middle of their coalition negotiations, the SPD, Greens and FDP want to redefine the corona course in Germany with a change to the Infection Protection Act. The Bundestag is debating the relevant plans this Thursday. Scholz also spoke after he had held back in public for weeks. “Even if the situation is different because so many are vaccinated, it is still not good,” said Scholz. That’s why you have to be careful. “We have to make our country winterproof, so to speak,” said Scholz, referring to the high number of infections.
It is the first regular working session for the newly elected parliament a good six weeks ago. So far, the MPs have only met once in plenary: on October 26th for the constituent session of the 20th Bundestag.
Scholz and the traffic light partners were accused by leading Union politicians of inadequate reactions to the increasingly worsening corona situation. In view of the rapidly increasing number of infections, SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich did not rule out improvements to the bill. Mützenich said shortly before the Bundestag session, too, that there have been “depressing numbers” in the past few hours. But he was “confident” that the plans could be sharpened in the legislative process and that there would be “resilient discussions with the opposition”. He had offered the CDU / CSU parliamentary group fair advice, said Mützenich. The Union parties had repeatedly criticized the fact that despite the emergency situation in many clinics, the SPD, Greens and FDP now want to let the epidemic situation of national scope expire as a basis for measures.
Mützenich made it clear that there would be no rethinking of the possible traffic light coalition on this issue and that it would not continue to strive for uniform national steps: He was convinced that the executive federal government and the new formation would do everything “what the states need, in order to be able to react well regionally to this dramatic challenge “. The health policy spokespersons of the three parliamentary groups had already presented their plans on Tuesday and defended themselves against the accusation of remaining inactive.
Epidemic situation: The prospective traffic light partners want to let the so-called epidemic situation of national scope expire on November 25th – after one and a half years and against the will of the still incumbent Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and, among others, of Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU). The number of corona infections has been rising sharply for days, and the Robert Koch Institute recorded two highs on Thursday: The number of new infections rose by more than 10,000 to 50,196, the nationwide seven-day incidence was 249.1. The traffic light partners had stated that they still no longer considered the pandemic emergency as the basis for corona measures to be legally secure, as many people have now been vaccinated.
Future opportunities for the countries: This epidemic situation is to be replaced by a smaller catalog of possible measures that the countries can take. In the 44-page draft by the SPD, the Greens and the FDP, distance requirements, mask requirements, hygiene requirements for schools or universities are also provided as options for the federal states. This also includes a possible obligation to present proof of vaccination, recovery or test (2 G or 3 G) for events or restaurants, for example. According to the draft, such measures should only be able to be applied until March 19, 2022. General closings of schools and shops or large-scale bans on events should no longer be possible from the end of November.
3 G at the workplace: A regulation is to come on the way that employees in their company must be vaccinated, recovered or tested negative for Corona. The Federal Ministry of Labor is currently working on a corresponding template, which is expected to be added to the ongoing legislative process.
On Thursday in a week, the changes to the Infection Protection Act are to be decided in parliament and the next day in the Federal Council. In addition, among other things, the free “citizen tests” are to be reintroduced from next week. A corresponding draft by the managing health minister Jens Spahn (CDU) became known on Wednesday.
Conference of federal and state governments: The Executive Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) called for a new Prime Minister’s conference as soon as possible on Wednesday evening. “We need a nationwide effort here again,” said the CDU politician. “The coronavirus takes no account of whether we currently have a governing government, whether we are in coalition negotiations.” The new Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hendrik Wüst (CDU), who currently chairs the Prime Minister’s Conference, also called for an early federal-state meeting.
Some state leaders such as the SPD Prime Minister Malu Dreyer from Rhineland-Palatinate did not see this as necessary so far. The FDP in the Bundestag had fundamentally denied the need for uniform action and referred to the different corona situation in the countries.
Extension of 2 G: While some have been calling louder and louder for days to counter the increase in numbers in principle across the board with 2 G in Germany, others reject this. 2 G means that only those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered from Covid-19 have access to events or restaurants, for example. The regulations in the countries are very different here. In Saxony, 2 G has been in effect since the beginning of week, Berlin will follow suit next Monday, in Bavaria it will be used in wide areas.
Tests are sufficient elsewhere, although the range is high here too: while some countries require PCR tests for certain areas, a quick test is sufficient for others. There are different rules for how long ago the rapid test was allowed to be. SPD chancellor candidate Scholz also called for more tests, especially in nursing homes. And he promised that they would make sure that tests would continue in the schools.
However, the controls of the corona access rules are a problem. Many politicians and associations are now warning restaurateurs and organizers not to “slim down” here, as the chief executive of the German Association of Cities, Helmut Dedy, said.