Status: 11/10/2021 4:14 p.m.
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How to proceed against the fourth corona wave? The main thing is common and uniform, demands Health Minister Spahn. But opinions still differ for 2G and 3G. The return of the free corona test is probably a done deal.
The fourth corona wave has reached Germany with full force. According to the Robert Koch Institute, the number of new infections has already reached new highs in the past few days – another high was recorded today. The discussion in politics about how to counteract this rapidly worsening pandemic is becoming all the more urgent.
In addition to the demand for booster vaccinations to be promoted as quickly as possible, the debate mainly revolves around the numbers game with 2G and 3G. The latter option offers vaccinated and convalescent people as well as citizens with a current negative Corona test access to public life – i.e. restaurants, cultural institutions or events. 2G, on the other hand, excludes access by means of a test, in which case proof of a complete vaccination or a survived infection must be available. The third variant is 3Gplus, which only accepts a PCR test, which is significantly more expensive than a normal rapid test.
Just not a new “patchwork quilt”
Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn is pushing for a nationwide unified approach on this issue and warned of the famous “patchwork quilt” of corona measures. “We will soon have 16 different regulations again, that does not lead to greater acceptance per se,” warned the managing minister in an interview with the television stations RTL and ntv. Because the decision as to which of the regulations should apply rests with the federal states. And with the end of the epidemic emergency, action against the pandemic will probably remain a matter for the federal states in the future.
The “epidemic emergency of national scope” created the legal framework so that the federal government, in coordination with the federal states, can order corona measures – without the approval of the federal parliament and with nationwide validity.
Spahn continues to defend the end of the emergency
In just under two weeks, however, the epidemic emergency will come to an end. One of the first advocates of the end of the emergency was Spahn himself. And even now he is defending this step. The current situation makes it possible to bring the legal “relationship between parliament and government” back to normal, according to the CDU politician. At the same time, however, he emphasized again that an end of the emergency should not be equated with an end to the pandemic.
And precisely because the pandemic is “anything but over”, as Spahn put it about a week ago, he asks the question whether the stricter 2G regulation should not apply nationwide in the leisure sector. Several doctors and experts have already spoken out in favor of this, most recently from the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach even sees this step as the only alternative to avoid another lockdown.
Corona situation: Debate about vaccinations and protective measures
Ole Hilgert, RBB, daily news 8:00 p.m., 11/10/2021
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Also Merkel for the “fastest possible” federal-state meeting
But how can there be uniform nationwide measures if there is no legal framework for this? In the past few days, Union politicians in particular had been pushing for a prompt federal-state meeting in order to establish a uniform approach. Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder is in favor, as is Hesse’s head of state Volker Bouffier and Chancellery chief Helge Braun.
Spahn also considers such a meeting to be appropriate. It would be “a strong signal to the citizens, the federal and state governments are working together and make it clear how serious the situation is”. And finally, Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is still Chancellor, also called for the “fastest possible” round with the Prime Minister, said government spokesman Steffen Seibert. The Chancellor is very concerned about the rapid development of the pandemic in individual regions. This requires “a quick and uniform response”.
From the point of view of North Rhine-Westphalia’s Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst, “as soon as possible” means this week. “I think we should come to an understanding across Germany that we won’t end up with a patchwork quilt,” said the CDU politician. He is one of the clear supporters of the 2G regulation as an “effective means” in the fight against the fourth wave.
Traffic light parties with their own catalog of measures
But while the Union is clearly promoting further consultations from the federal and state governments, the potential traffic light partners SPD, Greens and FDP have so far not wanted to know about it. They have already presented their plan for the further action against the pandemic – a “nationwide applicable catalog of possible protective measures”. Her focus is more on the 3G regulation, both in the workplace and in the leisure sector. This catalog is to come into effect at the end of the emergency and will be valid until mid-March 2022. From the point of view of the possible coalition partners, further federal-state consultations are no longer necessary.
Wüst accuses the traffic light parties that their calendar is simply too full with the current coalition negotiations. “But the virus does not wait until a government has formed, you can see that in the extremely rising numbers,” he criticized in the Deutschlandfunk.
Another free corona test per week
At least on one point there is agreement between Union and the future traffic light partners: The free corona test should come back. Both the SPD, the Greens and the FDP have spoken out in favor of this, and the Federal Ministry of Health has now also presented a draft ordinance that should enable citizens to have a free test every week. This was reported by the dpa news agency and the Funke media group. A spokesman for the ministry confirmed to the AFP news agency that the free tests are expected to start again next week.
Vaccinated persons should also be entitled to a free test per week, because they too could become infected again “and thus represent a risk, especially for vulnerable groups of people,” says the draft. The new regulation is to apply until the end of March 2022. Since October 11th, anyone who wanted to be tested had to pay for it.
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