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The law on protection against coronavirus infections in Germany has not yet been passed, and the federal states are already preparing to make it possible to apply restrictions such as wearing face masks, testing and respecting the 2G and 3G rules after April 2. One thing is certain: there will be no national “Freedom Day” in the spring.
- Germany has seen marked increases in the number of infections and deaths due to COVID-19. Approximately 250 people are added daily. infected, and up to 200 people die
- Nevertheless, a decision was made to lift most of the covid restrictions
- However, a special act leaves the door open to the federal state authorities, which may introduce some restrictions in their territory, especially in areas where there is an increase in the number of cases
- Some federal states are already getting ready to take advantage of this possibility, not intending to give up the restrictions in the current situation of an epidemic threat
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Author: Ulrich Exner / The World
Germany puts up with restrictions due to COVID-19
In nine days, the vast majority of covid restrictions will disappear in Germany. The Bundestag decided last week that from April 2, the requirement to wear protective masks, keep distance in public spaces and limit the number of people who can stay in a given place at the same time will be abolished. There will only be an obligation to cover the nose and mouth in hospitals, nursing homes and local and long-distance public transport.
- See also: Ministry of Health: Quarantine and isolation no longer apply from March 28
Most of the federal states responsible for fighting the coronavirus at the local level did not share the coalition’s enthusiasm on this issue, but gave the green light to the bill. They had no choice. Even if they did not agree, the latest restrictions would expire soon, and they would not be able to take advantage of the wicket offered by the new legal act. It is about the possibility of introducing restrictions in those areas of the federal state where an increase in the number of coronavirus infections is recorded.
- Read also: This is not the end of the pandemic in Germany. They were supposed to lift all restrictions but changed their minds
The path is marked by Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
The first federal state to work on regulating this was Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. From April 2, all six counties of the state are to be classified as hotspots, i.e. places where more COVID-19 cases are reported.
This means that all major covid rules, such as the obligation to wear indoor masks or the requirements for testing unvaccinated people in the catering industry, may continue to apply throughout the federal state until April 27. A resolution of the state parliament is still needed to implement the plans, but it should be a formality.
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has both the highest seven-day incidence of COVID-19 and the highest hospitalization rate in Germany. However, these values vary by region. That is why the plans of the state authorities may cause an avalanche of controversy, including legal disputes.
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Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) made it clear on Tuesday that the hotspot regulation negotiated last week should not be applied by the federal states. While it is theoretically possible to announce a federal state as a hotspot, it is not that simple. For this to happen, the spread of a much more dangerous variant of the virus would have to be established, or there would have to be a threat to health security throughout the entire federal state.
In practice, it is very difficult, as illustrated by the example of the Mecklenburg Lake District county. On Tuesday, nine COVID-19 patients were there in intensive care, accounting for 11 percent of the population. beds available in the ICU. It is at least doubtful whether the courts dealing with the planned legislation would have recognized the health emergency in the region.
- See also: Prof. Gut: Our pandemic can be like in Germany. I expect more deaths
The federal states are torn apart
Other state governments have even more difficulty declaring their own state a regional hotspot and treating it as a sort of preventive measure. For example in Saxony Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) has not presented any proposal for a new coronavirus policy due to, as reported by local media, intra-party conflicts.
Instead, as decided by the government, from April 2, only the basic protective measures provided for in the law on protection against infections will apply. The same applies to Schleswig-Holstein and Bremen. In the Hanseatic city, the senate passed a decree on Tuesday, which the Bremen parliament is likely to agree to.
Have you been infected with COVID-19 and are worried about the side effects? Check your health by completing a comprehensive research package for convalescents.
A hundred kilometers to the north Hamburg’s senate is working on the opposite. The current coronavirus protection policy is to be maintained after April 2. The city-state government does not like the lifting of the mask requirement in retail, which the federal government wanted. A spokeswoman for the Senate informed that the parliamentary groups of the SPD and the Greens are currently discussing exactly what the covid regulations in Hamburg should look like.
- Check it out: WHO: restrictions in European countries were lifted too quickly
Baden-Württemberg intends to stick to the guidelines
In contrast to Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Baden-Württemberg wants to follow federal guidelines. Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (The Greens) has ruled out that his entire state is considered a hotspot. At the same time, however, he reiterated his fundamental criticism of the federal infection protection law, which deprives federal states of their tools to fight the pandemic in the middle of the Omicron wave. He believes the federal government will assume responsibility for the pandemic from April 3. “I am not responsible for that,” said Kretschmann.
He sees it similarly government of Lower Saxonywho out he also sees no possibility of being recognized as a country-wide hotspotand even individual regions. However, according to a cabinet spokeswoman this may change if the hospitals receive a large number of wounded from the Ukrainian war zones, and at the same time the rates of new infections and hospitalizations increase.
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