NRW implements compulsory vaccination for nursing staff despite concerns – federal states overturn 2G rule in retail

One record is chasing the next in the Corona numbers in Germany. Everyone is talking about easing. Lauterbach is optimistic and warns of new mutations. The news ticker.

Update from February 8, 6:47 p.m .: Unlike Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia will implement the corona vaccination requirement for nursing and hospital staff, despite concerns about its practicality. The law had been passed and will be implemented accordingly, said NRW Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU) on Tuesday in Düsseldorf. The meaning of the law is understandable, but the implementation is difficult. At the same time, Laumann also stuck to the planned general obligation to vaccinate in order to be prepared for Corona next autumn.

However, Laumann called on the federal government to clearly define the group of people who work in the healthcare system in the case of facility-related compulsory vaccination. In addition, guidelines are needed on how the health authorities should weigh up in individual cases between infection protection and the security of supply of the respective facility.

The chairman of the Prime Ministers’ Conference, Hendrik Wüst (CDU), sees errors in the federal law. “The reaction of the hospitals and facilities, the cities and districts is clear: The facility-related vaccination requirement encounters enormous difficulties in the implementation,” said the NRW Prime Minister on request. “To date, the federal government has failed to present essential nationwide rules for facility-related compulsory vaccination.”

Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) had announced the temporary suspension of facility-related vaccination requirements.

Update from February 8, 4:25 p.m .: Shopping is becoming less complicated again in the state of Bremen: the Senate decided on Tuesday to repeal the 2G rule that applies to retail. However, the obligation to wear an FFP2 mask to protect against corona infections remains in place, as the health authorities announced.

The Senate also decided to abolish contact recording, for example in gastronomy or at events. On Wednesday, the responsible constitutional and rules of procedure committee of the Bremen Parliament will deal with the decision. If approved, the change can go into effect. On Tuesday, the Bremen Senate also set warning level three for the municipality of Bremen, which is expected to replace warning level four from Friday. This means that the 2G Plus rule is no longer applicable in restaurants, as well as in cultural and leisure facilities.

Countries stick to compulsory vaccination: “Bavaria is a completely unpredictable factor”

Update from February 8, 2:30 p.m .: After the advance from Bavaria for a temporary suspension of the corona vaccination requirement for clinics and nursing homes, Berlin and Lower Saxony remain with the project. “Berlin is adhering to the agreement on facility-related compulsory vaccination that all federal states and the federal government have made,” said Berlin’s Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey on t-online . “I support a nationwide uniform procedure. Vaccination is and will remain the way out of the pandemic, also in this phase and also for the coming autumn.”

Lower Saxony’s Prime Minister Stephan Weil also made it clear that his state is sticking to the project. “Bavaria is now a completely unpredictable factor in the corona discussion,” said the SPD politician on Tuesday. “However, the fact that the implementation of a federal law is now being refused for the foreseeable future has a new quality. Applicable law is to be applied everywhere and is not at the disposal of the respective state government.” Lower Saxony assumes that it will be able to cope with the consequences of this compulsory vaccination.

Schleswig-Holstein is also sticking to the implementation of facility-related vaccination requirements. “We will stay the course in Schleswig-Holstein,” said Prime Minister Daniel Günther (CDU). The focus is in particular on the protection of vulnerable groups. “And that’s why we need compulsory vaccination, especially in care facilities. We will also implement this in Schleswig-Holstein in mid-March.” The state will prepare this in talks with the municipalities. “I understand that colleagues have to assess the situation in their federal states,” said Günther. However, the introduction of facility-related compulsory vaccination was not an idea of the federal government, but coordinated with the federal states.

Corona in Germany: Next federal states overturn 2G rule in retail

Update from February 8, 1:20 p.m .: The state of Baden-Württemberg abolishes the 3G access rules for retail in the current corona alert level. So far, only those who have been vaccinated, those who have recovered or customers with a current test have had access. “I believe that this is justifiable in terms of a pandemic,” said Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) on Tuesday in Stuttgart about the easing. Social Affairs Minister Manne Lucha (Greens) explained that the 2G rule for retail trade provided for in Alert Level II will remain in place.

In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the 2G obligation in retail is completely eliminated. From Saturday (February 12), unvaccinated people will be able to shop there again in all shops. However, an FFP-2 mask must be worn when shopping. In shops for daily needs such as supermarkets, medical mouth and nose protection is sufficient. The state government in Schwerin decided on Tuesday, as Deputy Prime Minister Simone Oldenburg (left) announced.

Hamburg is also relaxing the corona rules in retail. From Saturday, the 2G regulation in retail will also be replaced by an FFP2 mask requirement. A Senate spokesman announced on Tuesday.

Corona in Germany: Almost every second PCR test is positive

Update from February 8, 12:25 p.m .: According to a laboratory association, almost every second of the around 2.47 million corona PCR tests in Germany in the past week was positive. In many federal states, this already applies to more than half of all samples evaluated, the Association of Accredited Laboratories in Medicine (ALM) announced on Tuesday. “The positive rate calculated nationwide rose again to 45.1 percent (previous week: 41.1 percent).”

The laboratory association relied on data from 182 specialist laboratories. In the week ending February 6, the occupancy rate was 93 percent, the same as in the previous week. For the current week, the test capacity has been expanded again to around 2.7 million. “This corresponds to an increase of around 30 percent since the turn of the year,” it said.

Corona: The right to a PCR test after a positive rapid test remains

Contrary to previous plans, it should now remain the case that citizens who have had a positive rapid corona test are also entitled to a post-PCR test. Federal Health Minister Lauterbach (SPD) spoke on Tuesday of a “change in position”. It will continue to be possible to offer a PCR test as confirmation for everyone. With the incidences that you now have and are still expecting, you can hold out, says Lauterbach.

In a draft for an amendment to the Corona Test Ordinance, which became known a few days ago, it was still planned to initially suspend the entitlement to follow-up testing after a positive self-test or quick test at a test station. The reason for the change was reports about the shortage of PCR test capacities.

Corona in Germany: Lauterbach is looking forward to a “super summer”

First report from February 8th: Berlin – Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) warns of further mutations of the corona virus. “At the moment the virus has the best conditions to develop further. It is epidemiologically unthinkable that there would be no mutations with these high numbers of infections,” Lauterbach told Stern magazine, according to a pre-announcement on Tuesday.

That’s why he doesn’t expect the end of the pandemic to be near. “I think it is impossible that the pandemic with Omikron is over. We can only hope that the new mutations are more benign. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case so far,” says Lauterbach. However, the SPD politician (58) is also optimistic: “We will have a great summer, like last year.”

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Corona: RKI reports 169,571 new infections on Tuesday

The 7-day incidence* is 1441.0 as of Tuesday morning. In the past 24 hours, another 169,571 new coronavirus infections and 177 deaths have been reported. This emerges from the data from the Covid 19 dashboard of the Robert Koch Institute * (RKI).

Corona hotspots in Germany (as of February 8, 2022)

Corona situation in the intensive care units

There are currently 2,339 Covid-19 patients in an intensive care unit in Germany. Of these, 1,172 must be artificially ventilated. This emerges from the data of the DIVI intensive register on Tuesday. The number has increased slightly over the past few days. In view of the high incidence, experts also expect more corona cases in the intensive care units.

This age group is most likely to be infected

The age group of five to 14 year olds in particular is currently being infected with Corona, as can be seen from the RKI data. The incidence is highest in this age group at 3,483. The value is lowest for those over 80 (363.4).

This Tuesday, Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach and RKI boss Lothar Wieler comment on the current corona situation * – it is also about vaccination.

(ml,afp,dpa) *Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA

List of rubrics: © Federico Gambarini/dpa