Berlin (dpa) – The federal and state governments are stepping up the pace when preparing corona requirements for the fall, for example to wear masks. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) and Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) announced that protective measures would be quickly agreed within the government after the presentation of an expert report in Berlin.
The experts had judged protective measures such as wearing a mask to be effective, but put question marks behind other requirements. The conference of health ministers of the federal states called on the federal government to take “all necessary steps and measures” to ward off an autumn wave.
In its eagerly awaited report on the review of the previous Corona requirements, the expert committee avoided clear statements on many points – due to a lack of sufficient data, no reliable assessments were possible. “We have bad data,” said virologist Hendrik Streeck.
Positive verdict on masks and tests
But Streeck stated: “Masks work – you have to say that clearly.” At the same time, the report points out: “However, an ill-fitting and not tight-fitting mask has a reduced or no effect.” Since the corona virus is more likely to be transmitted indoors than outdoors, “in future, the obligation to wear a mask should be restricted to indoor areas and places with a higher risk of infection,” advises the committee. The experts expressly did not give a general recommendation to wear FFP2 masks.
The experts believe that access restrictions on those who have been vaccinated, those who have recovered and/or those who have been tested, so-called 2G/3G measures, have a high effect – but above all in the first few weeks after the booster vaccination or recovery. In the current phase of the pandemic, it is difficult to assess the effect of such restrictions. If these become necessary, testing should be recommended as a condition of admission, regardless of the vaccination status. How well containment via testing can work needs to be further researched.
lockdowns and school closures
“When only a few people are infected, lockdown measures have a much stronger effect,” says the report. The longer a lockdown lasts and the fewer people are willing to support the measure, the smaller the effect. Similar to the lockdown measures, contact tracing was particularly effective in the early phase of the pandemic.
The exact effectiveness of school closures in curbing the spread of the virus is unclear. However, the “unintended effects” had been examined. Another commission of experts should carefully examine unintended consequences “with special consideration of the child’s well-being”, according to the report. The expert Jutta Allmendinger, President of the Berlin Science Center for Social Research, said that “something like a legal right to a minimum of social contacts” was needed. There was a “relapse into old gender roles” and an “incredible level of mental exhaustion”.
action of the government
Lauterbach said that the negotiations between him and Buschmann about future measures had begun on the day the report was handed over. Above all, the FDP had wanted to wait for the evaluation. “We work constructively and very quickly in confidentiality, and we have to be well prepared for the fall,” emphasized Lauterbach. There is a summer wave, it will not go away on its own. He expects “a heavy autumn wave”.
Buschmann said in a separate statement that he was very confident that a good proposal could be made in the coalition during July. There is general agreement on several points. According to the report, the indoor mask has a very good cost-benefit ratio. You will therefore of course have a role in the protection concept. Interventions such as lockdowns, school closures and curfews are no longer proportionate. Psychosocial consequences of protective measures, especially for children, should be given greater consideration.
More citizen tests
Despite the fuss about the billing, according to Lauterbach, there should still be corona citizen tests. The discussions did not change the fact that “the citizen tests are still available,” said Lauterbach. The National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) and the associations of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians responsible for billing had declared that they “will no longer be able to bill and pay out citizen tests in the future”. Lauterbach said: “The citizen tests prevent chains of infection.” However, the KBV wanted to be clear about how the new regulation was to be implemented. Since Thursday, the tests have only been available for risk groups and other exceptional cases. “We will come to good regulations in the next few days,” said the minister.
Countries demand legal basis
By decision of their health ministers, the federal states insisted on a legal basis for corona requirements in autumn. They need certainty about the legal framework as soon as possible. The possibility of a mask requirement and distance requirements indoors are necessary. The federal states should also be able to order mandatory tests – especially for facilities with risk groups, certain community facilities and schools or daycare centers. They also want to be able to set guidelines for hygiene concepts.
Basis for vaccination campaign
With the decision on the first practical regulations for the Corona course in autumn, the Federal Cabinet initiated regulations for further vaccinations, among other things. Lauterbach had announced a new vaccination campaign. There should also be more precise data and increased protection for risk groups in care facilities. The legal basis for corona vaccinations is to be extended until April 30, 2023. In the clinics, free and occupied beds are to be recorded and reported centrally.
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