New Infection Protection Act: traffic light plans are becoming more specific

Traffic light parties specify corona plans

Tagesschau 02:15 am, 11/17/2021

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Employers have a duty

Employees should therefore no longer be allowed to enter workplaces where “physical contact” with others cannot be ruled out without proof of vaccination, recovery or daily test evidence (or a maximum of 48 hours old PCR test). The entry ban should not apply if employees take the test directly in the company. According to the draft, all employers are obliged to “monitor compliance on a daily basis by means of verification checks and document it regularly”.

The plans for the reintroduction of the home office obligation are also becoming more specific. They roughly correspond to the regulations that were in effect until June of this year: Employees with “office work or comparable activities” must be able to work from home, unless there are operational reasons against it, such as processing mail or issuing goods or materials. Employees must accept the home office offer, unless work is not possible at home, for example because it is too tight or too loud or because the necessary equipment is missing.

3G in public transport – EVG concerned

In the future, 3G will apply not only to work, but also to means of transport. According to the submission, the carriers should check this on a random basis. The traffic light parties want to oblige them to monitor appropriate evidence controls. The deputy EVG chairman Martin Burkert is following these plans with concern: He fears that there will be even more attacks on the railway staff. “Mobbing, insults and fights unfortunately happen every day,” he said tagesschau24. In principle, however, the federal police are responsible for the controls.

According to the plans, passengers would have to be able to show proof of having been completely vaccinated against the coronavirus, recovered or for a negative test that is no longer than 24 hours old. The 3G rule should apply in local public transport with buses and trains, in long-distance public transport with ICE and Intercity as well as for air traffic. Schoolchildren and transportation in taxis should be excluded. According to a report by the Funke media group, the SPD, Greens and FDP plan to introduce 3G on domestic flights as well.

Daily tests in clinics and care facilities

Part of the new Infection Protection Act is also to make tests mandatory in clinics and care facilities. Employees and visitors should only be allowed to enter these with a daily negative Corona test. In the case of employees who have been vaccinated or have recovered, testing should also be carried out by means of antigen tests for self-application without monitoring, i.e. by means of a self-test.

A decision on the introduction of a corona vaccination for certain areas will not be made this week, according to the SPD. The parliamentary manager of the SPD parliamentary group, Carsten Schneider, said the parliamentary manager of the SPD parliamentary group, said Carsten Schneider.

Harsher penalties for forging documents

In the future, forgers of corona tests, recovery or vaccination certificates should face sensitive penalties. In the worst case, plans by the traffic light parties provide for up to five years in prison. According to this, the production and also the knowledgeable use of not only falsified vaccination certificates should be punishable in the future. The regulation clarifies the criminal liability in the event that an “unauthorized person” issues a test, it is said.

The knowledgeable use of false test evidence “with the purpose of deception” is also punishable. In particularly serious cases of “unauthorized issuing of health certificates”, if “the perpetrator acts on a commercial basis or as a member of a gang”, imprisonment should be possible from three months to five years.

The plans are to be decided in the Bundestag on Thursday. The next day the Federal Council wants to deal with it. In addition, the heads of government from the federal and state levels will meet for deliberations on Thursday.