High costs and bureaucracy: Business criticizes the intensified Corona

No reason to worry. Stefan Treutel drives one more time through the wet hair of a customer, then the hairdresser from Frankfurt explains that little will change for him and most of his colleagues as a result of the new corona rules in Hesse. "All of the colleagues I know test their employees two to three times a week from the start." The fact that employers only had to offer these tests until now, but now also have to monitor their application, changes little in the industry, says Treutel. That is also the reason why there have so far hardly been any corona outbreaks in hairdressing salons in Hesse. At the Frankfurt hairdressing guild, however, there are currently fears that the companies will face higher costs if tests have to be requested from employees in the future, as guild chief Gerda Pescht says.

Overall, there is criticism from the business community of the new regulations. “The obligation to test at workplaces with customer contact makes sense, on the one hand, and on the other hand, it burdens the companies affected by the corona pandemic a lot. They will be converted into test centers and the costs will be passed on to the companies, ”summarizes Eberhard Flammer, President of the Hessian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HIHK). In addition to the cost of the tests, there is additional bureaucratic effort. "We would have liked more priority for personal responsibility." However, planning security is now at least given. Because almost everywhere where 3G applies, a PCR test is required from Thursday. However, services close to the body such as the hairdresser or beautician are exempt from the stricter rule,A rapid antigen test is still valid there as an entry ticket for unvaccinated customers.

Left: No capacity for booster offensive

The reactions to the stricter rules were different.

The Hessian Chamber of Commerce and Industry described it as "unsatisfactory" for Hesse's economy.

Although compulsory testing at workplaces with customer contact makes sense, it places a lot on employers.

The left described it as a serious mistake to close the vaccination centers, and the abolition of the free corona tests was "devastating".

"Instead, a booster offensive should start without the appropriate capacities: The chaos in the doctor's offices is already predictable," complained parliamentary group leader Elisabeth Kula.

The AfD rejects PCR tests as a substitute for antigen tests because this would deepen the division in society.

"We have a pandemic for those who have been vaccinated," said Vice-parliamentary group leader Volker Richter.

The parliamentary group leader of the CDU, Ines Claus, described the new tightening as necessary.

"We must continue to protect those who cannot be protected or who unfortunately do not want to protect themselves," said Claus.

Gastronomy Association asks guests for support

In view of the fact that the stricter corona regulations that have now been in effect from Thursday had been in the room for weeks, the German Hotel and Gastronomy Association in Hesse had appealed to hosts, guests and politicians before the innovations were announced. "We call on hospitality entrepreneurs and local authorities to act carefully and jointly," said a call published on social media. Guests were asked for “understanding of the control of negative evidence” and for support. Since the middle of September, catering establishments in Hesse have been able to decide whether to grant potential guests access according to the 3G (entry for vaccinated, recovered and tested) or 2G (vaccinated and recovered) models. So far, a negative rapid antigen test has been used as evidence.

It is still unclear whether, and if so, to what extent the stricter regulations could induce restaurateurs to switch from a 3-G model to the 2-G variant.

In a survey published recently by the industry association among 520 hoteliers, restaurateurs, bar and club operators in Hesse, almost half stated that they run their businesses according to the 3-G rule.

Twelve percent applied the 2-G rule, the rest stated that they would switch if necessary.

The main reason given for sticking to 3G was not wanting to exclude anyone and not want to annoy the unvaccinated.

The main reasons for 2G for operators of clubs and discotheques were that guests were then allowed to move around without a mask, which corresponds to the character of the locations.