Berlin has decided on a 2G option model. But there is a growing protest against this, as it would exclude children. Now the Senate apparently wants to make improvements.
The German Children’s Fund has criticized the 2G option model decided for Berlin. According to the “Welt”, Federal Managing Director Holger Hofmann called it “hostile to children and hostile to families” that it does not provide for any exceptions for children under the age of twelve for whom the Standing Vaccination Commission does not generally recommend vaccination against the coronavirus. “We will check to what extent there is a constitutional contradiction here,” Hofmann announced.
The Senate decided on Tuesday to introduce a 2G option model in the capital. For a number of areas, the operators can then decide for themselves whether they allow access to interior rooms as previously vaccinated, recovered and tested (3G) or, for example, eliminating the mask requirement and with more participants only vaccinated and recovered (2G).
Senator: 2G with exceptions de facto 3G
Here, “on the back of the children, the leisure interests of the adults are promoted,” said Hofmann. “The restaurateurs, for example, would rather fill their restaurant with vaccinated people than continue to operate at half capacity and receive families in return.” And nobody thought of the situation of families or sports clubs, which are so important for the health of children.
Health Senator Dilek Kalayci explained on Tuesday why there is no exception for children under the age of twelve or people with certain diseases that cannot be vaccinated. 3G is also possible – and 2G, with exceptions, is in fact 3G, she argued. Criticism came, among other things, from the top candidate of the Greens for the House of Representatives election, Bettina Jarasch: “It must not come to the fact that children are again excluded from the theater or sports. I expect that improvements will be made here quickly,” she told the “BZ” .
Senate wants to discuss exceptions
For children under the age of twelve, Franziska Giffey, head of the SPD country, should have an exception to the restriction on access to those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered. “Yesterday’s decision by the Berlin Senate on the 2G option model must be corrected,” demanded the top candidate for the House of Representatives election on Twitter on Wednesday.
“Children under 12 cannot be vaccinated yet,” argued Giffey. “They and their families are massively disadvantaged when it comes to participating in social life.” A higher vaccination rate must be achieved, but not at the expense of children and their families.
In view of the widespread protest against on Wednesday, the Berlin Senate wants to discuss exceptions for children. This was announced by the health administration in the morning. It was about “the temporary expansion of the 2G option model to include children under the age of 12 until these children can be vaccinated,” it said.
