Lower Saxony: Mask requirement only in a few areas | NDR.de – News

Status: 03/29/2022 3:03 p.m

In Lower Saxony, too, almost all corona rules will no longer apply from Sunday in accordance with the new Federal Infection Protection Act. Only in a few areas is there still a mask and test obligation.

Lower Saxony will use the leeway that the Infection Protection Act gives the federal states. However, this is very low, said Health Minister Daniela Behrens (SPD) on Tuesday at the press conference of the Corona crisis team. For example, the 2G or 3G rule, which only grants access to certain areas to those who have been vaccinated and who have recovered or who have been tested, can no longer be applied. A mask and test obligation are still possible in the future – but only in selected areas.

A mask and test obligation applies here

  • hospitals
  • care facilities
  • homes
  • correctional facilities

A mask requirement applies here

  • medical practices
  • Transportation

A test is mandatory here

  • schools and day-care centers
  • shared accommodation for refugees and asylum seekers

“Can only react when the hut is already on fire”

Since the beginning of the corona pandemic, the precaution against an overload of the health system and many deaths has been the leitmotif for Lower Saxony, said Behrens. “Now it is no longer possible to act as a precaution via the Federal Infection Protection Act, but we can only react when the hut is already on fire,” said the Minister of Health with reference to the new hotspot regulation in the Infection Protection Act. Because this regulation can only be applied if there is a specific danger or a specific overload of the health system. In Lower Saxony, neither one nor the other can currently be identified, said Behrens.

Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania implement the hotspot rule

According to Behrens, 14 of the 16 federal states are not implementing any hotspot regulations because they see no legal options for this. Only Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Hamburg made use of it because of a heavy overload of the intensive care units or an overload of the health system. According to Behrens, lawsuits against the regulation have already been announced in both federal states. Lower Saxony will observe how the hotspot regulations in the two countries stand up in court in order to assess which instruments are possible and which are not.

Behrens: Infection numbers will remain high for a long time

In view of the far-reaching easing, Behrens assumes that the infection rate will continue to increase until Easter. According to the experts, it will probably decrease after that, but will remain relatively high in the summer, according to the minister. “It is not yet possible to say what that means for the burden of disease and how things will continue in autumn,” says Behrens. However, it is now clear that Omikron leads to severe illnesses that have to be treated in the intensive care unit much less frequently than previous variants of the corona virus.

Quarantine and isolation rules should be changed

For this reason, the rules for isolation and quarantine were also an issue at the Federal and State Health Ministers’ Conference (GMK) on Monday. The ministers unanimously asked the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) to reassess the pandemic. There are numerous courses of the disease with only minor or no symptoms, said Behrens. Therefore, the isolation measures are obviously too strict to deal with Omicron. Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) explained in the round that the RKI is already working on a new isolation regulation.

Further information


On April 2nd, the mask requirement will largely end in Lower Saxony. Do you continue to wear a mask – or away with it? (03/28/2022) more

Daniela Behrens (SPD), Health Minister of Lower Saxony, speaks at the state press conference in the Lower Saxony state parliament.  © dpa Photo: Moritz Frankenberg

According to the minister, the health system in the country is currently not overburdened. She calls for personal responsibility. (03/28/2022) more

Waiting patients sit in the registration area of ​​a doctor's office.  © dpa - report photo: Patrick Pleul

Rumors about the phasing out of the mask requirement for doctor visits from April 2nd are doing the rounds. But what’s up with that? (03/25/2022) more

A sign pointing out the 3G rule ("Vaccinated, tested, recovered") stands in front of a bar.  © picture alliance/dpa Photo: Oliver Berg

With the Corona Transition Ordinance, all contact restrictions for private meetings are no longer applicable in Lower Saxony. more

An employee of the German Red Cross (DRK) holds a corona test at Hamburg Airport.  © picture-alliance/dpa Photo: Daniel Bockwoldt

The Robert Koch Institute reports 28,067 new infections. You can find more figures for the state and your municipality here. more

A virus hovers in front of a crowd (photomontage) © panthermedia, fotolia Photo: Christian Müller

How many new infections are there? How is the situation in the clinics? What is the vaccination rate? Which rules apply? more

A person fills a syringe with the Biontech vaccine.  © picture alliance/dpa Photo: Kay Nietfeld

Health Minister Lauterbach expects the vaccines optimized for new virus variants to be delayed. More corona news in the live ticker. more

Further information

Are the infection numbers falling further? You can access the current corona numbers for your region on the NDR.de website. Just enter your zip code. more

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NDR 1 Lower Saxony | Current | 03/29/2022 | 4 p.m

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