The Executive Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) described the corona situation as “worrying” after the federal and state round. Germany is “in a very serious situation,” she said on Thursday in Berlin after consultations with the prime ministers of the federal states.
“It really is absolute time to act.”
A quick stop or braking of the exponential increase in the number of infections is now necessary.
Vaccination should apply “facility-related”
That is why the countries are now pushing for one, among other things compulsory corona vaccination for employees in hospitals, nursing homes and facilities for integration assistance and mobile care services. The duty should apply to contact with vulnerable people, as the chairman of the Prime Minister’s Conference, Hendrik Wüst (CDU), said on Thursday. In addition to the nursing staff, the employees z. B. be protected against COVID-19 in kitchens and offices.
According to Lower Saxony’s Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD) on Friday in the NDR, the federal states have asked the federal government to legally enforce vaccination requirements for nursing staff. In the group of state heads of government with Angela Merkel, there was consensus on this point, said Weil.
“If we want to get out of this nightmare, the only way out is through vaccination.”
However, the decision also states that the mandatory vaccination should apply “facility-related”. Whether this means that only certain facilities – perhaps linked to an incidence or hospitalization value in a district or a federal state – would be affected is currently open.
Legislative process on compulsory vaccination is to start in mid-December
It is also unclear from when this mandatory vaccination should apply. Still finance minister and likely future Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) said after the Prime Minister’s Conference according to ZDF information:
“The start signal is set.”
A regular legislative procedure is planned, which according to the previous calendar of sessions of the Bundestag can only be initiated in the week from December 13th with a shortened second and third reading.
Bonus planned for nurses, especially in intensive care
At the same time, given the strain during the pandemic, it should too again a financial recognition for the nursing staff give.
The federal and state governments agreed on a care bonus for nurses, especially in intensive care, as Merkel said. The decision states that the renewed payment of a care bonus should underline the recognition of the commitment in the currently very challenging situation. The amount of the bonus payment remained open for the time being:
“The states ask the federal government to provide the necessary financial resources for this.”
According to “Welt online”, all corona measures are to be checked on December 9 at the next Prime Minister’s Conference. The federal states had received the promise from Scholz that it would then be checked whether the catalog of measures was sufficient to combat the pandemic.
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