The Union is urging the traffic light coalition to quickly take precautions to contain the corona in the fall. "Apart from vague hints about the mask requirement, the government has so far left open how it wants to arm the country specifically for the fall with Corona," said the health policy spokesman for the Union parliamentary group in the Bundestag, Tino Sorge (CDU), WELT.
The government must make it clear which priorities it wants to set when amending the Infection Protection Act. "We finally need more pragmatism and personal responsibility," demanded Sorge. "Constant panic scenarios and demands for blanket restrictions on freedom in reserve do not advance the discussion."
More targeted measures for the autumn required a better data basis and greater use of digital tools. “Above all, we need a more precise focus on vulnerable groups. More personal responsibility and social life and consistent protective measures for risk groups are not a contradiction in terms.”
The Corona provisions in the Infection Protection Act expire on September 23. Talks are currently being held in the traffic light coalition for follow-up regulations, the results of which are to be presented in July. The regulations in the Infection Protection Act are the legal basis for measures in the federal states and list possible instruments. After the summer break, the Bundestag will meet again for the first week of meetings on September 5th and could then pass the law.
Bavaria's Health Minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU) urged the coalition to hurry. It is important that the countries receive tools to be able to react to possible waves of infection in autumn and winter, said Holetschek in the “Spiegel”. This includes, among other things, the possibility of ordering a mask requirement indoors or introducing upper limits for persons. "We don't need any more chaos days like the test regulation at the end of June."
The CSU politician received support from the left – in an unusual alliance. "Corona chaos days are threatening again in autumn because the traffic light coalition does not agree," says health politician Kathrin Vogler. After two sleepy Corona summers, there is a risk that the third will not be used either to agree on necessary and proportionate measures at an early stage - this includes mask requirements, understandable information about vaccinations and a test strategy that makes it possible to get an overview of the situation at a reasonable cost to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
"Actually, everyone knows that in autumn we will again need distance and mask requirements if the infection process is not to escalate until entire areas of the economy and administration fail in the end," says Linke Vogler. “The Minister of Health also keeps pointing this out. It's about time that he also enforced this against the FDP instead of letting them dance around on his nose again and again."
The SPD and FDP pointed out that a first draft for an amendment to the law had been discussed in the Bundestag before the parliamentary summer recess. "The legislative process will be completed as planned in September," said the health policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group, Andrew Ullmann. "Additionally, we may be in the final stages of the pandemic and already have much better tools than lockdowns or other coercive measures that some are craving."
The medical possibilities are much better today than in previous years. "The scaremongering on the part of the Bavarian Minister of Health is counterproductive and undifferentiated."
SPD parliamentary group leader Dagmar Schmidt told WELT that the government was working “at full speed” on the amendment to the law. "Should the Corona situation make it necessary in winter, we will provide the countries with effective instruments in the fight against the pandemic. In addition to masks, other instruments will certainly also play a role.”
AfD faction leader Alice Weidel accused Holetschek of spreading panic. “This alarmism would only be justified if there was a risk of the health system being overloaded. But there can be no talk of that at the moment.”
According to the German Hospital Society, the clinics treat twice as many patients in the current corona summer wave as they did at this time last year. In many hospitals, operations that can be planned would have to be postponed and entire areas would have to be signed off at times.
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) rejected criticism of his vaccination strategy from the head of statutory health insurance, Andreas Gassen. "I think it's problematic if the impression is given that vaccination for older people in the fall isn't necessary," Lauterbach told the editorial network Germany. At least for those over 60, it is undisputed that the booster injection is important “to prevent serious illnesses or even deaths”.
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