Courtesy Translation: Hessen state government prepares for the new Federal Infection Protection Act

Courtesy Photo | Icon to accompany courtesy translations from the state of Hessen  

WIESBADEN, HE, GERMANY

03.16.2022

Story by Nadine Bower 

U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden   

Press Release from the Hessen State Government from 15 March 2022
Courtesy Translation: Nadine Bower, Public Affairs Specialist

Corona protection measures

Hessen state government prepares for the new Federal Infection Protection Act

Minister President Volker Bouffier: "With a transitional phase, we remain reasonable and capable of acting."

Today, before the consultations in the German Bundestag and Bundesrat this week, the Hessen state government presented a roadmap with the planned corona rules. The background is the expiry of the currently applicable regulations in the Federal Infection Protection Act on March 19. The federal law is the legal basis for all corona protection measures in the German federal states and is currently being rewritten.

"The federal government is divided about this. Therefore a new regulation must take place practically at the last second before the expiry of all rules. We still do not know what concrete protective measures we can take in Hessen starting next week," said Minister President Volker Bouffier on Tuesday in Wiesbaden. "This procedure is unspeakable and that is why all federal states reject it."

"The procedure is also unspeakable because people want to know what happens next. In order to ensure the best possible planning security for all Hessen citizens, the state government intends – based on the current federal draft law – to extend the existing protective measures until Apr. 2, as far as the new Federal Infection Protection Act allows this. In this way, we remain reasonable and capable of acting," explained Minister President Volker Bouffier.

Following this transitional phase, only so-called basic protection measures will be possible in order to protect vulnerable groups in particular. Further measures would then only be possible in proven hotspots and after a prior decision by the State Parliament.

On the basis of the current federal draft law, Hessen intends to introduce the following regulations in two steps:

Step 1: Transitional period (March 20 to Apr. 2):

The existing Coronavirus Protection Ordinance will be extended. All legally possible protective measures will remain in place – on the basis of the previous draft. These are mainly:

- Access regulations (3G, 2G, 2G-Plus) remain valid.
- Mask requirements will remain in place – to the same extent as to date.
- Distance and hygiene concepts remain in place.

For the additional previous protective measures, the legal basis in the Federal Infection Protection Act will cease to apply on March 20. This means:

- The previous contact restrictions (for unvaccinated people) are no longer applicable.
- Capacity restrictions for events and discotheques will be lifted.
- Folk festivals and similar events no longer have to be approved according to infection law.
- Contact data collection is no longer possible.

In schools, the previous test obligation and the mask regulations will remain in place for the time being.

Step 2: Only "basic protection measures" (after Apr. 2):

After Apr. 2, the federal government will – according to the current status – only make possible the so-called basic protection measures. In concrete terms, this means:

Mask requirement only:

- in hospitals
- in old people's homes and nursing homes
- for care services
- in buses and trains (public transport and long-distance transport)

Testing requirement only:

- in hospitals
- in old people's homes and nursing homes
- in schools

All other protective measures are omitted. Additional protective measures will be made possible only in so-called hotspots. The prerequisite for this is a corresponding decision of the state government.

Hotspot rules (current draft law)

The definition of "hotspot": spread of a more dangerous virus variant in a local authority or threat of corona-related overburdening of hospital capacities in a local authority. The draft law does not contain any further details of what this means in concrete terms.

Additional measures: Extended mask requirements, access regulations (3G, 2G, 2G-Plus) for public traffic, distance and hygiene concept.

The Federal Infection Protection Act will be discussed for the first time in the German Bundestag on Wednesday. It is to be adopted by the Bundestag on Friday. The Bundesrat (Federal Council) is to discuss this on the same day. corresponding regulations can only then be bindingly adopted in the federal states. The Hessen state government will discuss this in a cabinet meeting afterwards.

Source: https://www.hessen.de/presse/hessische-landesregierung-bereitet-sich-auf-das-neue-bundesinfektionsschutzgesetz-vor

• Date Taken: 03.16.2022
• Date Posted: 03.16.2022 08:02
• Story ID: 416547
• Location: WIESBADEN, HE, DE