“The endemic has not been reached”: Lauterbach announces a corona concept for autumn

“The endemic has not been reached”
Lauterbach announces Corona concept for autumn

The current Corona rules will expire on September 23. Karl Lauterbach defines how things should continue in a new Corona concept for the fall. The Federal Minister of Health has again rejected the wishes for an end to the obligation to isolate infected people.

Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach has promised an early agreement in the coalition on a concept for corona protection regulations for the autumn. He expects results “in a very short time,” said the SPD politician. Negotiations with Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann progressed very quickly. Lauterbach again rejected calls for an end to the obligation to isolate people infected with corona, as this would only accelerate the pandemic. There is currently “no reason to change the isolation rules”.

In a tweet, Lauterbach explained that the pandemic could well break out again in autumn and refers to the increase in variant BA5 in Denmark: “Autumn will be more difficult than spring was. The endemic has not been reached,” said the minister.

Lauterbach and Buschmann are negotiating a follow-up regulation for the Corona provisions in the Infection Protection Act, which expire on September 23. These are the legal basis for measures in the federal states and list possible instruments. Most recently, general mask requirements for events or when shopping fell away in the spring, as did access rules such as 2G or 3G.

After the summer break, the Bundestag will meet again for the first week of meetings on September 5th and could then pass the law. Several FDP politicians in the coalition are also working to eliminate the obligation to isolate. The head of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, Andreas Gassen, had also campaigned for this, hoping for an alleviation of the staff shortage. Currently, for the general population, mandatory isolation can end after five days – with a “strongly recommended” negative test at the end.

Lauterbach also made it clear that the ministry was not discussing ending the compulsory corona vaccination for staff in clinics and nursing homes. The German Hospital Society had spoken out in favor of an end. “According to current knowledge, it is neither sensible nor communicable to continue it,” said Deputy CEO Henriette Neumeyer of the editorial network Germany.

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