As of Wednesday, hospital and nursing staff no longer have to wear a mask in the facilities. There is also no obligation to test for visitors to nursing homes. According to Federal Health Minister Lauterbach, the situation is stable enough for this. The last corona measures will end on April 7th anyway.
In the Corona crisis, further state protection requirements were abolished throughout Germany. As of today, Wednesday, there are no longer any mandatory tests for access to health facilities. The mask requirement for employees in medical practices, clinics and care facilities has also been lifted. This is determined by a regulation of the Federal Ministry of Health, which is now coming into force. For residents in nursing homes, the mask requirement has also ended. However, it is valid for visitors to practices, nursing homes and clinics nationwide until April 7th. This should continue to protect risk groups in particular.
Minister Karl Lauterbach justified the early easing on March 1 with the stable situation. On the one hand, all test obligations are now eliminated. They recently prescribed a current quick test if you wanted to go to clinics or nursing homes - for visits and at certain intervals also for employees. The end of the test obligations follows the financing schedule: the reduced offer of free “citizen tests” for everyone expired on Tuesday.
On the other hand, the mask requirement for employees and residents in health care facilities - i.e. for doctors and nurses in clinics, staff in practices and nursing homes and for people who live in nursing homes - is no longer applicable. But she should stay for visits to practices, clinics and nursing homes. "Anyone who visits patients or residents, who makes doctor's appointments, must continue to wear a mask," explained Lauterbach. "The protection of vulnerable groups should be worth it to us." This also includes dialysis facilities, day clinics and emergency services. "We support the elimination of the measures in Germany," said Christine Vogler, President of the German Nursing Council, to the newspapers of the Funke media group. "The people who work in the healthcare system in Germany are competent enough to deal with the situation."
On April 7th, the last nationwide corona regulations will expire - including the obligation to wear a mask for visits to practices, clinics and homes. The date was already in the Infection Protection Act, which was supplemented with more instruments in October for a possibly more critical situation in winter. But then they weren't needed. Lauterbach has already made it clear that there are no plans to extend such requirements beyond April 7th. Other corona rules, such as entering Germany, also end on April 7th. The countries had already given up an obligation to isolate infected people.
