Due to the high number of infections caused by the current omicron wave, the federal and state governments want to refrain from relaxing the current restrictions for the time being. “The Chancellor and the heads of government of the federal states agree that the rules for social contacts and events that have been in force up to now will continue to apply,” says the draft resolution for the Corona summit this Monday. The template is available to the Tagesspiegel.
At the same time, it is emphasized that more thought should be given to loosening the lockdown and that this should take place immediately when the current wave subsides a little.
“The federal and state governments will develop opening perspectives for the moment when an overload of critical infrastructure in general and the health system in particular can be ruled out.” This should start with major outdoor events – which would mean, among other things, more spectators in football stadiums. For the time being, however, the 2G rules for retail and 2G Plus rules for gastronomy and many events should remain.
Because the PCR test capacities are becoming scarce, they should be prioritized. “The PCR tests, which are only available to a limited extent, should be concentrated on vulnerable groups and employees who care for and treat them,” says the draft resolution, which dates from Sunday, 2 p.m. “In other words, on the staff, especially in hospitals, in practices, in nursing, integration aid facilities and for people at risk of serious illnesses.”
In these cases, the suspicion of a Covid 19 infection should be further clarified by a PCR test. If a rapid antigen test is positive, a previous confirmation by a PCR test should be dispensed with.
So far, the more reliable PCR tests have usually been free of charge if the rapid test has been positive beforehand. A proposal by the health ministers provides that there should now only be one follow-up test with a second antigen test. PCR testing should also be avoided in the case of warnings from the Corona-Warn-App (red tile).
Instead, an antigen test in a test center should suffice. However, since according to reports, many citizens are uncertain about the reliability of the rapid tests at Omikron, many are likely to continue to rely on a more reliable PCR test – but have to pay for it themselves.
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A clear warning was issued to Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) after the surprising reduction in the recovered status from six to three months.
It is welcomed that Lauterbach has assured “that the determinations to be made by the Paul Ehrlich Institute and Robert Koch Institute (RKI) on the status of vaccinated and recovered persons according to the amended Covid 19 Protective Measures Exception Ordinance (SchAusnahmeV) will be based on their significant scope will in future be announced and justified in good time before they come into force”.
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There had recently been massive resentment in state circles about Lauterbach’s actions on the issue, many citizens have lost 2G access authorizations to shops as a result and now have to be vaccinated quickly.
Lauterbach defended the approach on Sunday evening. “I can’t say now that there will be a transition if it cannot be maintained medically,” said the SPD politician on the ZDF program “Berlin direct”.
In view of the now predominant omicron variant, people who have recovered from corona would unfortunately have lost their vaccination protection after three months and could become infected. “If you want security there and want to control the number of cases and protect the vulnerable in particular, then you have to act quickly,” said Lauterbach.
In addition, due to the high number of infections, which is often milder at the same time, contact tracing is restricted. “The top priority is to follow up contacts to protect vulnerable groups. In line with the prioritization criteria of the Robert Koch Institute, the competent authorities in the federal states will give priority to events relating to hospitals, in nursing and in integration assistance facilities.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the heads of government of the federal states ask the citizens to deal responsibly with any illnesses. They should inform their contact persons on their own responsibility and use the available electronic tools for contact tracing.
In addition, the health authorities may prioritize contacting the infected persons for case processing and their household members. “Further tracking of contact persons takes place subordinately within the framework of available resources.” This means: many contacts are no longer tracked, citizens should go into isolation or quarantine on their own responsibility.
Overall, it is emphasized that it is too early to give the all-clear and thus relax. “There are already bottlenecks in some regions in the hospital and care sector due to staff shortages due to infections. The expected entry of infections into the older population group and the infection-related failures in the health care system would therefore continue to give cause for concern that the health care system would be put under considerable pressure,” says the draft resolution.
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However, Scholz and the heads of government of the federal states are confident “that the further continuation of the currently existing measures offers the realistic chance that Germany will come through the omicron wave well.”
Scholz himself emphasized in an interview with the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” that it was “certainly not appropriate to relax the rules across the board in the middle of the omicron wave. We don’t need a course correction.”
Scholz emphasized that he could not name a date when the pandemic would be over, and that general vaccination was required to protect against other variants – because without a rate of 90 percent for the first vaccinations, the pandemic could not be overcome. “The past two years have shown how difficult the virus is to predict. But I am confident that we will overcome this pandemic and lead a normal life again.”
The Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hendrik Wüst (CDU), is also speaking out against easing the federal-state consultations this Monday because of the current corona situation. “A signal for large-scale, blanket easing would be too early at the moment,” said Wüst in an interview with the “Tagesspiegel”.
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Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) assumes that there could soon be 400,000 new infections per day. “Around 1,500 people still die from Corona every week, the staff in the hospitals are completely exhausted – we can’t be cold.” Wüst is currently chairman of the Prime Ministers’ Conference and is working with the Chancellery on draft resolutions.
Most recently, the administrative court in Bavaria overturned the 2-G rule in retail, meaning that only vaccinated and recovered people are allowed in shops. Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) is in favor of major events with more spectators again because the omicron variant was milder than feared.
With a view to retail and restaurateurs, Wüst emphasized that he has not yet considered relaxing the 2G and 2G Plus rules. “The worst thing for people is a lack of predictability and constant back and forth. That’s why foresight is important. But that also means that you don’t change regulations every 14 days in one direction and then in the other direction,” said the Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia.