In Bavaria, the mask requirement in local public transport will be abolished on December 10th.

This is no longer appropriate due to the current stable infection situation, according to information from government circles.

From December 10th there should only be one recommendation to wear the masks.

In Saxony-Anhalt, the mask requirement on buses and trains will fall on December 8th.

Saxony-Anhalt is thus relying on more personal responsibility for protection against corona infections, according to government circles.

To protect against the transmission of infections with the corona virus, Bavaria, like other federal states, decided in April 2020 to wear mouth and nose covers in public.

As the number of severe corona diseases fell, the obligation was gradually withdrawn.

Local public transport, where there are often crowds on buses and trains and physical contact among passengers, is one of the last public situations in which masks are required in Bavaria.

“It is just as important that people continue to wear masks”

The obligation to wear masks in local public transport has always been a point of contention in the public debate, including in Bavarian state politics.

Most recently, the Free Voters had campaigned vehemently for the rapid abolition and insisted on the voluntariness for the citizens.

Doctors, on the other hand, are of the opinion that the mask requirement should remain or even be expanded, since covering the mouth and nose not only protects against the transmission of corona viruses, but also against other viral diseases, such as the influenza viruses currently circulating or the RS virus children.

On Monday evening, the health ministers of the federal states had not managed to decide on a new common line for further changes to the corona protection requirements.

Most countries wanted to extend the mask requirement in public transport by the end of the year, some beyond.

In part, the obligation should become a recommendation, it said.

For long-distance trains, the mask requirement is stipulated by law nationwide until April 7, 2023.

During the consultation, Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) spoke out in favor of maintaining the isolation rules and the obligation to wear a mask.

They expected an increasing number of new infections and would have pointed out the high mortality rate, especially among older people.

The RKI sees no reason to change the previous recommendations for isolation.

In the meantime, Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Schleswig-Holstein, Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate have lifted the isolation requirement of at least five days for those who tested positive, which the RKI still recommends.

Meanwhile, the President of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Lothar Wieler, believes that the foreign Corona situation at the beginning of this winter is better than before.

"There are enough vaccines and drugs against the disease, many people are vaccinated or have already been infected with the virus, so the immunity situation is much more favorable," said Wieler in an interview with the FAZ. However, he continues to promote the isolation of infected people and for that wearing a mask.

To what extent this will be implemented is "ultimately a political decision," said Wieler.

Isolating yourself with corona disease "remains important to protect others," says Wieler.

"It is just as important that people continue to wear masks, because this also keeps the number of respiratory diseases in check."