Lauterbach “collects” voluntariness in Covid isolation again
“A cessation of the mask requirement is not a mask ban”
“We rely on personal responsibility, that’s a proportionate measure,” says FDP health expert Andrew Ullmann. Anyone who is worried about getting infected can continue to wear a mask. He currently does not see the healthcare system being overwhelmed.
From May 1, everyone should be able to decide for themselves whether to isolate themselves in the event of a corona infection, that was the plan of Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach. At “Markus Lanz” he explained that the health authorities should continue to order quarantine. He also took a stand on Twitter.
BAfter sharp criticism, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) has now spoken out against voluntary isolation of corona infected people. “It would be wrong for the health authorities to end the order for isolation after corona infection in favor of voluntariness and it will not come about,” he wrote on Tuesday evening on twitter. “I made a mistake here. That relieves the health authorities. But the signal is wrong and harmful.”
He further explained: “Corona is not a cold. Therefore, there must continue to be isolation after infection. Arranged and controlled by the health authorities.” He announced further information for Wednesday. He emphasized: “The mistake was mine and has nothing to do with the FDP or relaxation. It was about relieving the health authorities”.
Previously, Lauterbach in the ZDF talk show “Markus Lanz” announced the turnaround. He would “cash in again,” he said. “This point, that the infected people isolate themselves and are no longer asked by the health department, I will collect again.” He wants to make that official on Wednesday. A shortened isolation of five days should remain.
After consultations with the federal and state health ministers, the minister announced on Monday that from May 1st, people infected with corona and contact persons would usually only have to be in isolation or quarantine voluntarily and for a short period of time. There had been sharp criticism of the new regulation from the opposition and social organizations.
“It stays the same, if someone is sick, the health department will continue to order”
Infected people should therefore only be “strongly recommended” to isolate themselves for five days and avoid contacts – it should apply accordingly to contact persons of infected people. An order from the health department should be omitted.
Lauterbach said on ZDF that it would have made sense to relieve the health authorities. However, the signal that an infected person decides whether to isolate himself is “so negative, so devastating” that there must be a change at this point. The “symbolic damage” that Corona is not dangerous is so devastating that you cannot do this isolation order.
“It stays that way if someone is sick, so if they got infected, the health department will continue to order it. And if someone is just a contact person and it’s quarantine, then you do it yourself.” You don’t need the health authorities for the quarantine.
However, it had reached the people that he now considered Corona to be “harmless”. This “does more harm” than sticking to the isolation notices, which are obsolete in practice, the minister explained. In the case of the quarantine of contact persons, however, the voluntary nature should be retained.
Lauterbach also commented on the planned compulsory vaccination and the compromise proposal that the traffic light coalition presented. He is confident that the proposal will find a majority in the Bundestag. “It is very likely that we will get through this,” said the SPD politician on the ZDF program.
90 percent of corona deaths are in people over 60 years old. If there is no majority, it would be a “severe defeat”, but no reason for him to resign, said Lauterbach.
Merz accuses Lauterbach of “short-winded” politics
Meanwhile, CDU chairman Friedrich Merz has criticized Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) for backtracking on the planned lifting of the corona isolation requirement. By Tuesday evening it was assumed that the obligation would be lifted, Merz said on Deutschlandfunk on Wednesday. “The Federal Minister of Health took that back on a talk show last night.” This shows how “short of breath” the government is. Decisions are not even valid for 48 hours.
The chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group also rejected the proposal for compulsory vaccination from the age of 60. “This type of politics – in and out, back and forth, announcing on talk shows what you do and what you don’t do two days later – we don’t go that route,” said Merz. “This is about messed-up compromises that the coalition has to make because they don’t agree among themselves.”