What rules apply now? Many Germans are currently asking themselves this question. Because actually from April 2nd all Corona rules should be abolished. The so-called “basic protection” should then replace the mask requirement, access restrictions and other measures in public life. But the first federal states are backing down.
“Far-reaching corona measures” should be completely eliminated in a few days. But that’s not going to happen, at least not everywhere.
Imminent corona chaos
The legally granted and binding transition phase ends on April 2nd. But the first federal states now want to extend it by a month. According to the current Federal Infection Protection Act, the measures then only apply in hotspot areas, which, however, must be determined by municipalities in cooperation with the state government.
In these regions, the mask requirement in public life, the distance rules and admission restrictions should remain. In the restaurant, 3G then continues to apply, in the club 2G-Plus and even when training in the gym, proof of vaccination, tests and recovery are then required.
In which federal states will the corona measures remain in place?
Baden-Wuerttemberg: The mask requirement in public life should remain until the end of April. 3G then applies (vaccinated, recovered or tested) at public events, in the cinema, theatre, in cultural and leisure facilities, at trade fairs and exhibitions, in extracurricular and vocational training offers, in gastronomy and in hotels as well as in body-related services.
Bavaria: The Bavarian state government wants to enforce basic protection.
Hamburg: In everyday life and primarily in closed interiors, German citizens must wear a mask until the end of April.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is one of the first federal states to declare itself a hotspot area. The basic protection provides for a mask requirement in public life. At the same time, all previous 3G and 2G Plus rules apply in public life.
North Rhine-Westphalia: NRW was the first federal state to want a joint approach. The federal state wants to extend the current transition phase by four weeks.
What about the other states?
Brandenburg: The mask requirement should continue to apply in facilities such as medical practices, clinics, nursing homes and communal accommodation for refugees. A mask should also continue to be worn on public transport. Masks should no longer be compulsory in schools.
Bremen: From April 2nd, so-called basic protective measures should apply, in medical practices, hospitals or in local public transport an FFP2 or surgical mask must be worn. Tests are scheduled to be carried out several times a week in day-care centers and schools.
Hesse: In Hesse, the basic protection will probably take effect. For example, the federal state has closed all PCR test centers. The doctors now take over the offer.
Lower Saxony: It is likely that the restrictions will remain until the end of April.
Rhineland-Palatinate: The federal state will probably also overturn the mask requirement in public life and all restrictions.
Saarland: Restrictions are replaced with basic protection.
Saxony wants to stick with basic protective measures in its new Corona regulation from the beginning of April. Rules such as the obligation to wear masks indoors or G-regulations should then be eliminated.
Also in Saxony-Anhalt and in Thuringia should the rules fall.
Schleswig Holstein: There should be no restrictions. The basic protection takes effect.
What is “Basic Protection?”
The mask requirement in public life is only prescribed in places where vulnerable people are. These include nursing, medical and senior citizens’ facilities. In addition, the mask requirement then applies to the doctor, in hospitals or in clinics. Medical mouth and nose protection must also be worn on buses and trains.
German citizens do not have to show proof of vaccinations, tests or proof of recovery in public life.
What is also new is that the quarantine and isolation rules for contact persons are no longer applicable. The seven-day quarantine for people who tested positive for the corona virus continues to apply. Anyone who does not allow themselves to be tested must remain in quarantine for ten days.
Extension due to high incidences
In view of the high number of infections, some federal states want to extend the transition phase – until the end of April. The federal states want to declare themselves hotspot areas. In the healthcare sector in particular, staff are absent again and again.
In some supermarkets, customers are advised that they have to expect longer waiting times at the checkout or empty shelves. “Unfortunately, Corona doesn’t stop at our shop doors and sends many of our employees into quarantine,” says a Munich Edeka branch.
The World Health Organization (WHO) had already sharply criticized the expiry of most corona restrictions in Germany a few days ago. Several European countries such as Germany, France, Italy and Great Britain have lifted their corona measures too “brutally”, said WHO Europe Director Hans Kluge. As a result, the number of new infections rose sharply.
According to Kluge, the numbers are currently increasing in 18 of the 53 countries belonging to the WHO Europe region. In the past seven days, the region has seen more than 5.1 million new coronavirus infections and 12,496 deaths. Since the beginning of the coronavirus, almost 194.4 million corona infections and more than 1.92 million deaths have been recorded in the WHO Europe region.
The article also appeared on Focus Online.