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Berlin (dpa) - Despite the high number of corona infections, the strict contact rules for visiting relatives could possibly be relaxed over Easter.

Before the Bund-Länder meeting in the afternoon (2 p.m.) there is a new proposal on the table that would allow meetings with four people who go beyond their own household, plus children up to 14 years of age from the closest family circle.

This was sent by the Chancellery on Monday morning and contains suggestions and demands from both the SPD and the Union.

The paper, which was available to the German Press Agency from several sources, is as of March 22nd, 10:00 a.m.

A lot of the points in it are still in square brackets, so there should still be discussions about them.

Proposal to allow more contacts over Easter

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This also includes the proposal to allow more contacts over Easter - although it was initially unclear who brought this proposal.

In contrast to the lockdown over Easter last year, visits to relatives should be possible this year, the paper says.

The level-headed behavior of citizens in Germany during the Christmas period has impressively shown how family gatherings can be made safe.

The draft resolution literally states: “Therefore, from April 2 to April 5, 2021 - as an exception to the otherwise applicable contact restrictions - meetings with 4 people beyond their own household plus children up to 14 years of age will be the closest Allow family circle, i.e. spouses, civil partners and partners in a cohabitation as well as straight line relatives, siblings, siblings and their respective household members, even if this means more than two households or 5 people over 14 years of age. "

New design for counties with an incidence of 100+

In contrast to the draft resolution from Sunday evening, the new version for districts with an incidence of more than 100 brings more stringent contact restrictions into play in addition to a night-time exit restriction until 5:00 am ("unless there are serious reasons").

It is unclear whether this is a supplementary option or an either / or formulation that the federal states could decide on their own.

The entire passage is still in square brackets.

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This also applies to the proposal to close schools and daycare centers or not to open them at all, provided that educators, teachers and pupils or supervised children cannot be tested twice a week.

From an incidence of 200 onwards, schools and day-care centers could also be closed, although this would take place "a few days in advance" so that families can adjust to it. "

In view of the Easter days, the draft also says: "The federal and state governments continue to urgently appeal to all citizens to refrain from traveling in Germany and abroad that are not absolutely necessary".

And further: "The appearance of various Covid-19 variants and their worldwide distribution have shown that cross-border travel must continue to be limited to the absolutely necessary minimum."

Concept of the "low-contact vacation"

Without mentioning the controversial Mallorca trips, the paper now says that the federal government will "quickly decide within the framework of the legal possibilities in which cases a test is required and in which cases a quarantine is necessary on entry regardless of incidences in the travel destination".

The new addition, like the concept of a “low-contact vacation” in their own federal state brought up by the SPD states, is also still in square brackets.

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The "low-contact vacation" aims at the possibility of vacationing in holiday flats or houses, apartments or mobile homes, as long as these have their own sanitary facilities and vacationers can also get food there.

From the Union it was already skeptical that the necessary accommodation ban had already caused legal trouble.

Visiting opportunities for retirement and care facilities

A point on the situation in old people's and care facilities has been added to the draft resolution.

After, according to the vaccination strategy, primarily residents and employees were vaccinated, there is now "the expectation that the long-tense situation will normalize".

Since it is still uncertain to what extent the vaccination prevents people who have been vaccinated from infecting others, hygiene and test concepts must continue to be implemented consistently.

At the same time, however, two weeks after the second vaccination, the options for visiting facilities without a corona outbreak could be expanded again and general group offers could be made again, the paper continues.

Unvaccinated as well as new residents should quickly receive a vaccination offer.

The new draft does not provide for any major relaxation.

All that is mentioned is that the federal states can test, within the framework of temporary model projects in selected regions or one in each region with a low incidence, how individual areas of public life can be reopened under strict conditions and with a test concept.

© dpa-infocom