“We have to expect a summer wave,” Lauterbach told the Funke newspapers on Saturday. Medical President Klaus Reinhardt called for FFP2 masks to be worn wherever possible in public spaces.
Lauterbach said that both the delta and the omicron variants are so infectious that even in good weather, the number of infections could increase again due to many contacts and the declining vaccination protection. The minister demanded that the Infection Protection Act be geared to this.
The easing came into effect on Friday
On Friday, relaxation of the corona measures came into force across Germany, affecting restaurants, discotheques and events in particular. However, these regulations will already expire on March 19th. Because only up to this point in time does the Infection Protection Act allow the previous corona restrictions. The federal and state governments agree in principle that there should continue to be a certain basic protection from March 20th. However, there is still no agreement on its exact form.
Lauterbach said countries must be able to react early to the coming waves. These included the mask requirement and contact restrictions: “It should be possible to set upper limits for private meetings and public events as well as access rules for restaurants, for example, i.e. 2G or 2G Plus regulations.”
“Can keep us busy for another decade”
The German Minister of Health believes it is possible that the corona virus will remain for several decades: “I’m pretty sure that we’ll get an autumn wave. And Corona will keep us busy for a long time after that – a decade or more.” Corona variants have to be expected again and again, “and dangerous variants can also be there”.
Doctor President Reinhardt told the “Rheinische Post” that wearing FFP2 masks on buses and trains remains important. “FFP2 masks also offer greater protection in retail, especially at peak times when shops are particularly busy.” Despite the recent increase in corona incidence values, the easing is correct.
In dealing with the pandemic in the future, it is crucial “that people learn to deal with the risk of infection sensibly by acting independently in everyday life,” said Reinhardt. Above all, this includes getting fully vaccinated. “In addition, voluntary rapid tests before private celebrations, for example, make sense, especially if older people or people with previous illnesses take part.”
The seven-day incidence of new corona infections in Germany has meanwhile increased slightly again. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the value was 1,220.8 on Saturday morning. It was 1,196.4 the day before and 1,253.3 on Saturday last week. The value quantifies the number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants over a period of seven days.
Source: Nachrichten
