In Hesse, too, restrictions on public life due to the corona pandemic will no longer depend as much on the number of new infections as before. On Tuesday, the country leaders discussed together with the Chancellor the idea of introducing a kind of traffic light system instead, which, in addition to the incidence, primarily takes into account the vaccination rate and the burden on the health system. The Hessian state government signaled even before the deliberations that it wanted to support this. This also applies to the end of the free corona tests. From mid-October onwards, anyone who does not want to be vaccinated will have to pay for the tests themselves. At the same time, a negative test result must be presented by anyone who is not fully vaccinated or has recovered when visiting bars or events.Hesse's Prime Minister Volker Bouffier (CDU) supports these proposals.
Ewald Hetrodt
Correspondent for the Rhein-Main-Zeitung in Wiesbaden.
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Marie Lisa Kehler
Deputy head of the regional section of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
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Helmut Schwan
Head of the regional section of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
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The FDP criticized the Union politician. "On the one hand, the epidemic emergency national scope is to be extended, on the other hand, the free corona rapid tests are to be abolished for everyone and only offered to those for whom there is no general vaccination recommendation," said FDP General Secretary Moritz Promny fixed. “That doesn't fit together.” If the rapid tests are no longer free, fewer people would be tested. The left-wing faction also rejects the abolition of the free tests as early as October. This leads to fewer people being tested, said the parliamentary group leader in the Hessian state parliament, Janine Wissler. Since fully vaccinated people could apparently also transmit the virus, there should continue to be free test offers for them.
A general appeal for vaccinations is not enough; instead, even more low-threshold and decentralized vaccination offers are needed - especially for socially disadvantaged and non-mobile people.
Wissler praised the planned expansion of the test obligations.
She criticized the fact that schools and daycare centers in Hesse had once again not been prepared for a possible next wave.
"Technical systems for air exchange are still in short supply, and the promised video conference system in the country's school portal will not be ready in time."
Regulations remain in force until the end of August
When the step-by-step plans, which were previously based solely on incidence values, would be abolished and replaced by new parameters, was initially open on Tuesday. The Hessian corona cabinet will meet next week to draw conclusions from the results of the federal-state consultations. The previous ordinances are expected to remain in force at least until the end of August. The threshold value of an incidence of 35 in a city or district is therefore still of great importance.
Because this mark has not been reached in Frankfurt for five days, some of the previously applicable Corona rules are being relaxed again. For the Frankfurters this means in concrete terms: The maximum number of participants for events indoors will be increased from 250 to 750, outdoors from 500 to 1500. Evidence of a vaccination, recovery or a negative corona test no longer has to be in the interior of restaurants Events, trade fairs or cultural offers with up to 100 participants are provided.
While the situation is easing outwardly, the Frankfurt Health Department is preparing internally for busy weeks. Since Tuesday, another 20 soldiers from the Bundeswehr have been supporting the office's employees. The effort involved in looking after those returning from high-risk or virus variant areas is enormous, says a spokesman for the office. At least since Spain and parts of France were among the high-risk areas, the workload has increased significantly. According to the spokesman, between 500 and 700 travelers from high-risk areas return to Frankfurt every day. Regardless of whether the entry is by plane, ship or car - all travelers are obliged to register via the federal government's entry portal and to find out about applicable quarantine requirements. As travelersthose who cannot present proof of vaccination or recovery can only “free” from quarantine after five days, according to the spokesman, it is also the task of the health department employees to check compliance with the requirements.