The incidence value is becoming less important in the corona pandemic. Instead, the focus is on hospitalization. What does this mean for public life in Germany?
Munich – The guideline value of 50 regarding the incidence was recently decisive when it comes to tightening your belt on protective measures when the number of corona infections increases. But that has changed. Although numerous regions have climbed back over the previously critical limit, this does not yet result in similarly rigid measures as in earlier stages of the pandemic. Instead, according to reports, the incidence value 50 falls outside of the German Infection Protection Act (Paragraph 28a).
The Ministry of Health is to quickly initiate a corresponding amendment to the Infection Protection Act that will be decided by the cabinet before the federal election *. People who are then vaccinated against Corona or who have already had Covid-19 behind them (recovered) should no longer have to accept any serious restrictions regardless of the incidence development.
Corona measures: Incidence value no longer applies – hospitalization and 3G are decisive
In addition, the number of hospital admissions (hospitalization rate) should in future be the most important key figure when taking new protective measures. How that should look in practice – still unclear. Regardless of the future infection situation, the question arises what does the elimination of the 50s incidence mean for public life in Germany? Different standards and regulations will then apply to the areas of gastronomy, trade, school or meetings with family and friends.
In the Federal Corona Protection Ordinance, a seven-day incidence * of 35 is the only code from which the “3G rules” (vaccinated, recovered or tested) apply to visits to indoor restaurants, for example. If limit values are exceeded in the future, only unvaccinated people are likely to face serious restrictions:
While people vaccinated against Corona and those who have recovered from it hardly have to fear restrictions, people who have not been vaccinated * are threatened with another “lockdown” in the worst case. The statements of Health Minister Jens Spahn can hardly be interpreted differently, who recently stated on ARD that there would be no lockdown for the other two groups of people. “Schools shouldn’t close at all,” predicted the Union politician.
A departure from the applicable 3G rule for corona requirements is, in the opinion of Markus Söder *, dependent on the situation in the hospitals. “Only when things get very serious, there is a threat of overloading the health system, would a change to 2G be proportionate,” the CSU boss told münchen.tv.
Germany: Analog and digital Corona documents as free tickets
However, that is (still) a long way off. In the future, the obligation to provide evidence and test will probably be the defining factor in participating in public life. Citizens must be vaccinated, recovered or tested when they are in an indoor area with other people. This then applies to sporting activities, cultural events, or a visit to restaurants and bars. Accordingly, one of the following certifications would be decisive:
- Yellow vaccination card
- Covid Pass app
- Certificate of recovery
- Rapid antigen test
Moving away from the 50s incidence * is the decisive step in this direction. If the number of new infections rose above this value, the first corona restrictions were associated with it. These concerned the catering trade, private meetings, sporting activities, events, cultural activities, schools and also the retail trade. With the obligation to provide evidence and tests, such restrictions should be a thing of the past.
Corona measures: Tests are no longer necessary for shopping and traveling by train
The areas of shopping, church services or the use of public transport will remain unaffected by this corona regulation at least until spring 2022. As before, a mask requirement should apply here, as well as compliance with the minimum distance. One can argue about the extent to which these measures contain the risk of infection in trains.
Nevertheless, there is no question that this strategy could become obsolete again with possible, as yet unknown virus variants. If the scientist Sai Reddy has his way, the worst may still follow: He paints a gloomy picture * that the Delta variant does not consider the end of the flagpole for a long time. (PF) * Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
