Karl Lauterbach describes the corona rules in Germany as the strictest in Europe. The Federal Minister of Health justifies the measures again.
Munich/Berlin – The FFP2 mask requirement in clinics, nursing homes, medical practices and long-distance trains applies. When visiting a retirement home, a negative test for the corona virus should also be presented. However, the federal states should also be able to make masks mandatory again for publicly accessible interiors in shops and restaurants. It should also be possible to wear masks again on buses and subways, which is the case in Bavaria anyway.
Karl Lauterbach: Federal Minister of Health defends new corona rules in Germany
These are the corona rules from the new Infection Protection Act, which will apply from October 1st to April 7th, 2023, in a nutshell. Of course, the Federal Minister of Health, Karl Lauterbach from the SPD, played a key role in this. Because, for example, in France all corona measures were lifted at the beginning of August or in Austria there is no longer a quarantine obligation for infected people, Lauterbach has now defended the German measures again.
“Right now the rules are being attacked because they are too strict. But these are exactly the rules that we need to get this under control in good time,” said the SPD politician in RTL’s “Nachtjournal” and stated: “In fact, Germany has the strictest rules at the moment.”
Corona rules in Germany: “Possibilities” and no “automatism” according to Karl Lauterbach
However, the Rehinländer emphasized that these are only “possibilities” and not “automatic”. On Twitter he referred to the underlying farsightedness: “It is true that we are currently providing the strictest rules for the corona pandemic in Europe from October. That is nevertheless correct. If there are not so many cases and severe courses, then these rules are not applied. We want to be well prepared. ”He also said that other countries would certainly adjust their rules again if the corona numbers increased.
In addition to criticism, there was also approval. An example: The head of the German Hospital Society (DKG), Gerald Gaß, said to the Rheinische Post in August: “We welcome the fact that it should still be possible to wear masks indoors.” The coalition partner in the federal government, the FDP, also assesses the corona rules as appropriate. “The health ministers of the federal states are on the wrong track if they demand further tightening,” said FDP health politician Andrew Ullmann of the Augsburger Allgemeine : “We are giving the federal states sufficient tools for a decentralized fight against the pandemic.”
In the video: Lauterbach finds lockdowns “no longer justifiable”
Lauterbach’s assessment that the number of infections will increase again in autumn and winter is shared by virologist Christian Drosten from the Berlin Charité, among others. “The situation is changing again,” said the scientist in an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) . In particular, the omicron variant with its mutations BJ.1 and BA.2 is currently causing concern.
“With the high incidences that we will probably have in winter, you can see that the disease really exists,” he said and advised: “Wearing a mask indoors will certainly become necessary again.” (pm)
