Status: 15.10.2022 11:49 a.m
Germany’s hospitals are calling for a return to wearing masks indoors. Due to the increasing number of corona infections, normal operation is “no longer possible” in most clinics. The states must act.
The hospitals in Germany are calling for the rapid reintroduction of the obligation to wear masks indoors. In view of the high number of corona infections, the clinics are “standing with their backs to the wall,” said the head of the German Hospital Society (DKG), Gerald Gass, to the newspapers of the Bayern media group.
In most hospitals, normal operation is already “no longer possible”. “We are in the situation that we currently have as many corona patients as we did at the peak of this year,” Gass continued.
“If not now then when”
Against this background, he called on the federal states to take action. “Where the number of infections is particularly high, the state governments are now required to take the appropriate steps from the package of measures of the new Infection Protection Act,” said Gass. “If not now, then when is the time, for example, to impose a mask requirement indoors to slow down the rate of infection?”
The Bundestag had decided to amend the Infection Protection Act. Since October 1st, there has been a nationwide obligation to wear an FFP2 mask on long-distance trains, in hospitals, care facilities and in doctor’s offices. Further steps are left to the 16 federal states – depending on the respective infection situation. It is expressly at the discretion of the federal states to order a mask requirement in local transport and indoors.
Hospitals are opting out of emergency care
The German Hospital Society pointed out that the trend in new infections was still negative. “That means we will probably have to report a new record next week,” warned DKG General Manager Gass. There are also more and more failures among the employees of the hospitals. In addition to Corona, the seasonally high number of respiratory diseases also contributes to this.
For the hospitals, this means that “scheduled operations and treatments are already being postponed, beds are blocked because there is a lack of staff, and hospitals have to temporarily sign off from emergency care”. About half of the clinics are currently affected.
Kassenärzte boss pleads for more personal responsibility
“Therefore, the state governments should work with their regional health authorities to see where mask requirements are appropriate indoors, even in large crowds,” demanded Gass. It’s not just about regulations, but also about “the appeal to people to voluntarily wear masks as a precaution and to take advantage of the recommended vaccinations”.
In the newspapers of the Funke media group, on the other hand, Andreas Gassen, head of statutory health insurance, reiterated his long-standing skepticism about a mask requirement. In view of a high immunization rate, the situation is completely different than in the past two years. “That’s why I would rely much more on people’s personal responsibility,” he said. He also considers tests in people without symptoms to be unnecessary.
Minister Lauterbach advocates a mask requirement
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach and several state health ministers had recently spoken out in favor of reintroducing the obligation to wear masks, for example in shops. According to the current legal situation, however, the federal states must decide for themselves.
According to a report by the editorial network Germany (RND), most state governments want to wait and see for the time being. So far, there have only been concrete considerations for stricter mask requirements in Berlin and Brandenburg. In Lower Saxony there is a graduated model that makes mask requirements dependent on the hospital occupancy with corona infected people.