Germany: agreement for a cautious end of state of health emergency

The end of the state of health emergency does not necessarily mean the lifting of measures to combat Covid-19.

REUTERS - Wolfgang Rattay

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

Germany will take a step towards ending anti-Covid-19 measures.

The leaders of the future coalition between Social Democrats, Greens and Liberals announced this morning an agreement on the end of November 2021 to abandon the state of health emergency by which Parliament delegated powers to the government.

However, this development does not mean the end of measures to fight the pandemic.

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With our correspondent in Berlin

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The change of majority in Parliament, as the evolution of the health situation explain this decision.

Faced with the reluctance of the Greens and especially the Liberals, the German Parliament will not extend after 20 months the state of health emergency which, since March 2020, has enabled the federal government and the regions to adopt measures alone to fight against the epidemic of Covid-19.

The liberal party which is currently negotiating with the Social Democrats and the Greens to form a common coalition thus considered the containment measures contrary to the constitution. 

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However, November 25, the date on which the current exception system ends, will not be a "

" marking the end of the pandemic and health restrictions.

The vaccination campaign has borne fruit, new confinements are excluded.

But

especially for unvaccinated people.

A more flexible system will be put in place until the spring to avoid disparate regional measures on the wearing of masks, the medical pass or the rules of physical distancing.

The Bundestag is due to decide on these new measures next month. 

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• Germany

• Coronavirus