Federal-state conference: This is in the draft resolution for the Corona summit

In view of the rapid spread of the omicron variant, the federal and state governments are not planning to relax the existing corona measures. There is agreement “that the previously applicable rules for social contacts and events will continue to apply,” says the draft resolution that is available to FOCUS Online.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the heads of government of the federal states will again discuss the corona situation on Monday afternoon. The omicron variant of the corona virus spreads “very quickly” and can lead to “a large number of hospital admissions”, the draft resolution goes on to say. The federal and state governments therefore agreed “that the previous course will be continued and the applicable measures will be consistently continued”.

The proposal for a resolution refers to new infections of more than 100,000 cases a day and the latest assessment by the Federal Government’s Expert Council. According to this, the seven-day incidence per 100,000 inhabitants for new infections in the region could soon “reach several thousand”. Nationwide, the value on Sunday was 806.8.

The draft resolution provides for the following 11 points:

1. Vaccination

Scholz and the heads of government of the federal states therefore want to step up the vaccination campaign again. In contrast to the resolution paper of the last federal-state consultations from the beginning of January, a general obligation to vaccinate is no longer mentioned. At that time, in addition to Scholz, they supported all 16 federal states.

The decision paper says: “The Chancellor and the heads of government of the federal states call on all citizens to have the booster vaccination three months after their second vaccination. Those who have not yet received any vaccination should get vaccinated now.”

2. Testing

Because of bottlenecks, these should also be available as a matter of priority for certain groups, including clinic or nursing home staff and high-risk patients. For the majority of the population, confirmation of an infection indicated by a rapid test using a PCR test should be dispensed with.

“In the event of a bottleneck in PCR test capacities, the necessary follow-up testing should instead be carried out with a second monitored, high-quality antigen test,” it says. This also applies to warnings from the Corona-Warn-App (red tile), which has so far enabled a free PCR test. When testing free from isolation and quarantine after seven days, rapid antigen tests are now also used instead of PCR tests.

3. Quarantine and Isolation

The decision paper provides for the rules for infected employees in hospitals and care facilities to be adjusted. The general rules should also apply to them in the future: “The isolation after a proven infection can be ended after seven days with a certified rapid antigen test (with proof of the negative result). Without a test, it ends after 10 days. For the quarantine of contact persons a free test through a negative antigen test is also possible after seven days.”
Boosted (with three vaccinations) should be excluded from the quarantine as contact persons; this also applies to comparable groups such as those who have just been vaccinated and those who have recovered.

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4. Recovered and vaccination status

There was a lot of criticism for the surprisingly short-term change in the status of recovery to three months. That shouldn’t happen again. Accordingly, the decision paper states: “[Die] Due to their considerable scope, the determinations to be made regarding the vaccinated and recovered status should in future be announced and justified in good time before they come into force.”

5. Contact tracking

Even when tracking the contact persons, “prioritization makes sense and is necessary”. The decision paper states: “The follow-up should be uniformly aligned across countries. The top priority is to follow-up the contacts to protect vulnerable groups. For this purpose, people “related to hospitals, in nursing and in institutions of integration assistance should be given priority [werden].”

6. Protection of old people’s and care facilities

The decision paper states: “As agreed in the decision of the federal-state meeting of November 18, 2021, the federal states will collect the necessary data on the vaccination rate among employees and residents in old people’s and nursing homes as well as integration assistance facilities. The Federal Ministry of Health is examining the possibilities of comprehensive monitoring.”

7. Critical Infrastructure

“The federal and state governments, together with the operators of the critical infrastructure, are continuously monitoring the expected effects of the rapid spread of the virus variant and will react immediately if necessary. Many areas of the critical infrastructure are prepared for a major loss of personnel and have adjusted their plans accordingly The measures taken have contributed to the fact that no threats to basic services have arisen so far,” it continues.

8. Opening Perspective

The resolution paper says about a possible relaxation of the corona measures: “The federal and state governments will develop opening perspectives for the moment when an overload of critical infrastructure in general and the health system in particular can be ruled out (starting with major outdoor events).”

9. Digitization

By the end of February 2022, the health ministers are to present a report on the implementation of the pact for the public health service and on the introduction of the German electronic reporting and information system (DEMIS) in hospitals. “In the short term, the digital applications for proving the vaccination or recovery status (in particular the Corona warning app and CovPass app) must be further developed in order to be able to easily check compliance with the 2G or 2G Plus rule,” says it further in the decision paper.

10. Economic aid and short-time allowance

“By extending the economic aid and the special regulations for short-time work benefits until March 31, 2022, employees and companies will continue to be supported.” The federal government will closely monitor the further development of the infection process and “in the short term, taking into account the measures to contain the Covid 19 pandemic, check whether and, if so, to what extent an extension of the aid and special regulations beyond March 2022 is necessary,” it said on this in the decision paper.

11. Continuation of the previous measures (Contact tracing and events)

The decision paper says: “The Chancellor and the heads of government of the federal states agree that the rules for social contacts and events that have been in force up to now will continue to apply.”

As a 12th point, only the time for the next Corona summit is set: “The next meeting will take place [Mitte] February 2022, unless the further course of infection makes an earlier meeting necessary.”

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