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After a long discussion, the federal and state governments have decided on new crown rules. These include a lockout extension and a mask requirement. A summary of the new measures.
The federal and state governments discussed tougher crown measures late into the night, an extreme lockdown is off the table for now. In the final decision, Chancellor Angela Merkel and the country’s leaders mainly agree to extend the current measures. But due to concerns about the B.1.1.7 crown mutation, it was decided to toughen up in some areas. An overview:
The following measures were decided:
- Enclosure extension: It will continue with the resolutions of the federal and state governments that were previously in effect during the closing. The measures are “initially limited until February 14, 2021.”
- Request for greater contact restriction: Contact restrictions will not be tightened any further, but will remain as strict as before. “Private meetings are still allowed with members of your own household and with another person who does not live in the home.”
- Medical mask requirement in public transport and shops: The use of mouth and nose covers has proven to be a “particularly effective measure” in the pandemic, the decision says. In the context of possible particularly contagious mutations, therefore, the above mask requirement is specified: in the future, medical masks will be mandatory on public transport and in shops (Surgical masks or masks of the KN95 or FFP2 standard) required.
- Reduce contacts in public transport: Contacts on buses and trains will be reduced through “home office options, equalization of the number of passengers at peak times and additional means of transport used.”
- Schools: Kindergartens and schools are generally “closed until February 14.” “The federal and state governments expressly thank teachers and educators and educational personnel in schools and day care centers for overcoming the great challenges of the pandemic,” the decision said. “Your occupational health and safety is a high priority.”
- More home office: According to the draft, the Ministry of Labor will issue an ordinance, “according to which employers must allow employees to work from home whenever possible, as long as activities permit.” Employees will be asked to accept the offer.
- There where Presence in the workplace Additionally, room occupancy must continue to be reduced for confined space work areas as part of the implementation of occupational safety standards or employer-provided medical masks must be worn without sufficient space.
- Curfews for the critical points of the crown: The restriction of the circulation radius to 15 kilometers from the place of residence has been removed for the moment. However, the resolution provides that in countries and districts that “cannot foreseeably fall below the incidence of 50”, extensive “more local or regional measures” will be taken.
- To further reduce the number of passengers on local public transport during normal peak hours, companies are asked to Flexible working hours to be used whenever possible.
- Strengthen health authorities: The health departments are being staffed and re-enabled to trace contacts. A follow-up of contacts throughout the country must be “guaranteed” at least up to a 7-day incidence of 50 new infections per 100,000 population. The Sormas (Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System) software will also be used across the board.
- Rapid tests and mandatory FFP2 for nursing homes and nursing homes: In the future, staff in care and elderly centers, as well as in centers for the disabled, will be obliged to wear FFP2 masks “when contacting residents”. Staff and visitors must be screened for Corona with rapid tests “several times a week” upon entry. That was already decided in December, but it failed again and again, as the draft says: “In many institutions, there is a lack of staff capacity.” According to the draft, “short-term Bundeswehr soldiers and, in a second step, volunteers” should help.
- Services: The resolution stipulates that a mask must be worn in the plaza for church services; singing is prohibited. Meetings with more than 10 participants must be reported to the responsible public order office at least two business days in advance, unless general agreements have been reached with the relevant authorities.
- Entry restrictions: Additionally, heavy entry restrictions should be avoided. However, there is one for country entries that are classified as “problem virus variant range area”. Obligation of proof and quarantine. Before that, it was just Great Britain and South Africa.
The federal and state governments had come together for another measure summit earlier than originally planned out of fear of Britain’s mutated variant of the coronavirus. Crown numbers in Germany have stabilized after the turn of the year. The seven-day incidence, that is, the number of cases during a week per 100,000 inhabitants, recently fell to 136.
However, it is still far from the target value of 50 that the federal and state governments have issued to control the virus and relieve the healthcare system. In Germany a total of more than 2,033 million infections and 46,419 deaths have been recorded.
