The German citizens must be prepared to be obliged to wear protective masks on trains, trams, buses and when shopping in the coming year.

Even if they have been vaccinated, tested or recovered.

Because the infection rate with the corona virus is increasing significantly, the federal government wants to continue the measures at least until spring.

However, she does not expect lockdowns that are as drastic as in the past.  

Christian Geinitz

Business correspondent in Berlin

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"A fourth wave is announced - albeit still (!) At a low level," it says, including the exclamation mark, in one of the FAZ reports by Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) for the federal states and the Bundestag.

The increase in infections is due not least to those returning from travel and the fact that the population is behaving almost as much in their contacts as they were before the pandemic.

Seasonal effects would then be added in autumn and winter.  

The recommendations and regulations on hygiene, keeping your distance and ventilation must therefore be continued wherever many people with an unknown vaccination status meet in closed rooms - and that is "independent of the incidence".  

Stabilized regardless of the incidence

In the long run, it says: "The need to wear a medical protective mask becomes mandatory until spring 2022, especially in all areas of local and long-distance public transport as well as retail for everyone, including vaccinated and convalescent people." Existing access restrictions should be closed Spaces should be continued, possibly expanded and, above all, made permanent regardless of the incidence.  

It literally says: "From the beginning / mid-September 2021, participation in certain events throughout Germany should generally only be possible if the 3G rules (vaccinated, recovered or tested) are complied with." , Indoor sports, indoor events and large events “indoors and outdoors”. 

The federal government is trying to encourage as many people as possible to vaccinate.

In return, it increases the pressure on those who have not been vaccinated.

Spahn's paper entitled "Safe through autumn and winter - make preparations now" suggests that the offer of free corona citizen tests be discontinued on October 11 or 18.

Because all citizens are offered a vaccination offer, the Federal Government believes that “permanent assumption of the costs for all tests by the federal government and thus the taxpayer is not indicated”.

Free tests should only be given to people who could not be vaccinated or for whom there was no recommendation.

This applies to pregnant women or minors, for example.

No lockdown like last winter

There are approved vaccines for children and adolescents from the age of twelve, and the federal and state health ministers spoke out on Monday in favor of offering them all a vaccination offer. But the Standing Vaccination Commission STIKO at the Robert Koch Institute RKI has so far only recommended child vaccinations for previous illnesses and in other exceptional cases, which is why Berlin wants to keep the free tests for minors.