Due to the increasing corona numbers, new corona measures will come into force in Hesse from Sunday (December 5th, 2021). This includes contact restrictions for unvaccinated people.
Wiesbaden / Frankfurt – At a press conference in Wiesbaden, Hesse’s Prime Minister Volker Bouffier (CDU) and Hessian Health Minister Kai Klose (Greens) announced tightened corona measures for Hesse. These should come into force on Sunday, December 5th, 2021 and initially apply until December 23rd, 2021. In addition, the Hessian Corona Cabinet applied to the state parliament for the so-called determination of the pandemic situation, which gives the state the opportunity to decide on further measures if necessary.
As a first change, Bouffier announced new contact restrictions in public spaces, which have so far been limited to the unvaccinated. These should also be checked more intensively, for example by the public order office. As of Sunday, unvaccinated people in Hesse are only allowed to meet members of another household in public space. In private areas, for which no bans are issued, people are appealed to also to reduce contacts.
New corona rules in Hesse: the 2G rule becomes mandatory in retail and gastronomy
In addition, the 2G regulation is being tightened throughout Hesse. A general 2G rule in retail will come into force next week. Shops for daily needs are excluded from this. In restaurants and hotels, 2G is becoming the mandatory standard instead of the previous option. The mask requirement up to the place inside will then also apply to vaccinated and convalescent people from the entry into force of the new rules.
From the second Advent, new rules also apply to events with 11 or more participants. If up to 100 people are present indoors, the 2G rule then applies, after which a distance and hygiene concept must be in place. Indoor events with 250 participants and more require approval from the health department. In outdoor areas, events with a capacity of more than 3000 people require approval. The only exception to the events are church services, in which the state government does not want to intervene. The recommendation of a 3G concept applies here.
Bouffier announces new corona measures for Hessen: Stadium with capacity limitation
This also results in an important change for the capacity of football stadiums and other sports facilities, which Bouffier calculated at the press conference using the example of Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt. Up to 3000 spectator capacity, no special restrictions come into force, everything above that must limit the possible capacity to a quarter of the spectators from next Sunday (05.12.2021). In the case of the Eintracht Frankfurt stadium with around 48,000 seats, that would be the 3,000 spectators who were already admitted and a further 12,000. Full stadiums, as seen last weekend, are “not responsible”, according to Bouffier.
As far as schools are concerned, the Hessian government is determined to maintain face-to-face teaching in Hesse. Bouffier declined the suggestion of an early Christmas vacation as well as a renewed switch to alternating lessons. As a new feature, Hesse’s schools now want to enable tests for all vaccinated students once a week – previously unvaccinated people had to take a test three times a week.
| New corona measures from December 5th, 2021 | |
|---|---|
| Contact restrictions | Unvaccinated people: a maximum of two households for meetings in public spaces |
| retail trade | 2G rule, with the exception of shops for daily needs (grocery stores and pharmacies) |
| Gastronomy and hotel business | 2G compulsory instead of the option, mask compulsory right up to the place for everyone |
| Events (interior) | From 11 participants 2G, from 101 protection concept, from 250 subject to approval |
| Events (outside) | from 101 participants 2G, from 3000 subject to approval |
| Football stadiums | Unchanged up to 3000 places, everything above a quarter of the capacity |
Corona rules in Hesse: State government wants parliament to vote on the pandemic situation
These are all measures that the Corona Cabinet could take under the applicable laws, emphasized Bouffier. He repeatedly criticized the decision of the traffic light parties, who had followed the announcement by CDU Health Minister Jens Spahn to let the federal law on the pandemic situation in the country expire and to legally enable the countries to take a package of corona measures.
For further measures, an application was made to the state parliament in Wiesbaden to have the pandemic situation in Hesse determined. According to Bouffier, a decision by the state parliament could be made next Tuesday, December 7th, 2021. This decision would also make further measures such as limiting Christmas markets, closing cultural sites or a ban on alcohol in public spaces possible. A new federal-state summit is also planned for Thursday, December 2nd, 2021, at which changes to federal laws are to be discussed.
“Very serious situation” in Hesse: Bouffier and Klose call for the corona vaccination again
In general, Hesse is also in a “very serious situation”, emphasized the CDU politician, who is still relying on advancing the vaccination campaign in order to defeat the pandemic in the long term. “It is still the case that those who decide not to be vaccinated are depriving millions of others of their freedom,” emphasized Bouffier and announced that the possibility of mandatory vaccination should be discussed at the federal level as soon as possible.
Driving the vaccination campaign forward is an important priority in Hesse in addition to protecting the clinics and their employees, Hesse Minister of Health Kai Klose emphasized. The aim is to make 400,000 vaccine doses nationwide possible as early as the week after the second Advent. The 280,000 inoculated doses from last week were already far more than was possible at peak times in vaccination centers in Hesse. The top priority, however, is that the federal government can also deliver the required doses and that offers do not have to be canceled due to missing doses, as is the case with the Frankfurt Impf-Express. (Sandra Kathe)
